Reprieve
by LeFay Strent
Summary: The line has been crossed where no mortal should have gone and now the balance of the two worlds has been broken. With the realm connecting the gates coming apart at the seams, who will rise to restore it? Or will everything fall apart? The fate of not only one but two worlds is at stake in the sequel of 'The Blood Alchemist'. EdXOC AlXOC
1. Chapter 1

**And here it is! The highly anticipated sequel to _The Blood Alchemist_! My furry friends, let me just say that I have so much planned for this that I can't wait to write.**

**So, I'd better tell you guys beforehand that I won't have as much time to update now that I have officially gotten a life (by starting college) so I'll only be updating this every other weekend. For those of you who are interested I'm actually loving college life! But even though I'll be going to classes I won't forget about my life as a fanfiction writer. ;)**

**Last thing, me and Taylor had an...interesting night last night. We were having an FMA marathon but with the episodes on mute and _we_ were voicing all the charaters and making a weird story out of it. Winry was a hooker, Bradley was trying to hook up Hawkeye and Al, Hughes was trying to hook up Mustang and Ed, Mustang was trying to profess his love, Havoc was hitting on Ed too, Ed was just trying to figure out why men kept throwing themselves at him, and Al was a pimp/drugdealer. Oh, and Yoki was gay and Lyra was British. Yep, we're just weird like that. XD**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Reprieve**

_August 8, 2011_

(-LeFay-)

She walked into the building, soaking in the brightness of the room. The walls were pink paneling trimmed in cold and crystal chandeliers hung high, casting the light off the colors almost painfully. There were shelves upon shelves filled with delectable pastries of every flavor imaginable, making the air smell sweet and tasty.

_Such a pleasant bakery_, LeFay thought to herself.

"Hello!"

LeFay looked down to see a small blonde boy staring up at her with big brown eyes, looking like the epitome of cuteness. She hadn't even noticed him approach her. In fact, she only now noticed that they were the only ones in the shop. Not even a cashier was manning the counter. How odd…

"Are you here to buy cake?" the boy asked with a voice that made her just want to glomp him for being so cute.

She shook her head, "No. Actually…I'm not sure what I'm doing here. How'd I get here anyway?"

"You used the door, silly!" he beamed.

"Oh…" she mumbled, accepting this and questioning it no further. "So what are you doing here, Hunny-Sempai?"

"To eat cake!" he smiled, but then his lips pulled down in a frown, "But then I lost Usu-Chan. Can you help me find him?"

"Sure!" she agreed. LeFay wandered over to behind the counter where a door was located and opened it. Next thing she knew a large stuffed pink bunny launched itself at her face.

"GAH!" LeFay gasped and sat up, the book that had been lying on her face falling to the floor.

"Hey-"

"EEEEK!" LeFay nearly jumped out of her skin as she whipped her head around to see her older sister standing beside her with wide eyes.

"Jesus, LeFay. You act like I'm gonna kill you."

LeFay took a moment to catch her breath, realizing that she was in the living room of her dad's apartment and that she had been dreaming. The calming green furniture and white walls clashed greatly with her speeding heart. When she knew her heart wasn't going to actually explode, she answered grouchily, "Well what do you expect?! Surprising me like that and all."

The older girl snorted, "It's your own fault for falling asleep on the couch. And what were you sleeping in the middle of the afternoon for anyway? You're so lazy."

"Whatever," LeFay sighed. "So what's going on, Shelby? Did you just get off work?"

Shelby nodded happily and sat down beside her on the couch, "Yep." She relaxed into the cushions, taking a drink of the Dr. Pepper in her hand.

LeFay gave her a small rueful smile. Shelby would be turning nineteen this coming December but was considerably shorter than LeFay. She had beautiful long brown hair that held red tints in the sunlight, light brown eyes, pale skin, a nice smile (her best feature in LeFay's opinion), and a small nose with a slight upturn. Like their older brother Christian, Shelby had been a high school drop out but learned early on how to take care of herself and others. She had practically become the mother of the house when it came to her living here with their dad. Recently though she had started working at the supermarket down the street and ever since she started losing weight drastically, but she still had a bit of fluff left. It made Shelby happy but LeFay had nearly cried cause if Shelby lost all of her fluff she wouldn't be able to survive the winter!

"So what's Daddy up to?"

LeFay rolled her eyes, "Don't know, don't care. But he's probably in his room talking on the phone to his crazy Vegas girlfriend."

"That's our dad for ya. Can't ever learn how to settle down with a local girl. Though, he really should get one that lives in the same _state_." Shelby became distracted when she saw the book lying on the floor. She picked it up as LeFay instantly felt panic. "_The Theories of An Alchemist_?What the hell are you reading?"

"Uh, nothing! Just bored, you know how I get!" LeFay laughed nervously, snatching the book away.

Shelby stared at her, pushing her glasses back in place and peering out from behind the lenses with sharp eyes. Then she shrugged and laid her legs in her sister's lap, "Watch my feet dance!"

LeFay face palmed, "Honestly, I don't see how we're related." As Shelby continued to sing about her feet, LeFay asked, "So, have you heard from Christian?"

Not pausing from wiggling her feet, Shelby answered, "He's supposed to come visit next week."

"Cool," she said, frowning at her sister's feet. She pushed the limbs off of her lap and walked up the stairs to get her bag. Making sure she had everything, she came back downstairs to see Shelby in the exact same spot.

"Leaving already?"

LeFay nodded, "I've been here for days. Besides, I need to get back home. Grams wants to take me shopping for school supplies."

"Tell them 'hi' for me then."

The sisters bid each other farewell and LeFay went to get in her truck, waving at the neighbors as she did so. She left the apartment complex and was soon driving down the streets of West Monroe. This was where Shelby and their dad had been living for nearly two years, which was a feat in and of itself cause their dad had a penchant for moving around. LeFay visited frequently but had always lived with her grandparents in Farmerville, her father's parents. Their twenty-year-old brother lived with their mom and two younger sisters about two hours away in a small town called Sibley in order to work with their step-father, something involving oil digging and whatnot. Basically, their family was spread out in Northern Louisiana.

It took the better part of half an hour to get back home, a one story, rectangular peach colored house surrounded by an acre of land filled with many kinds of trees and gardens. LeFay drove down the gravel driveway, honking her horn to alert them of her presence. A few moments later, her grandmother came out and together they left to go uptown and shop.

* * *

(-LeFay-)

The next day found LeFay sitting in her cave-ahem, _room_, eyes scanning her laptop screen. She sat in the old rocking chair in front of her entertainment center set up so she could watch the T.V. at the same time. This was something she had started doing recently when she went into research mode. While she went through website after website pertaining to alchemy she would have Fullmetal Alchemist playing in the background.

This is practically how the last three months had gone, ever since she learned of her best friend's fate. LeFay had spent her whole summer vacation looking through so much: everything pertaining to FMA, documents online about alchemy, and even research done by alchemists way back in the day. Many countless hours had been spent looking into this but still LeFay hadn't gotten any farther than she had been when she started! It was so frustrating! Miss April had been supportive the whole time but it was easy to see that her hope had shriveled up a while back. Even LeFay was beginning to think that she'd never make any headway.

The problem was that she couldn't figure out how to activate that stupid transmutation circle! From what Miss April told her she knew that Taylor had activated it by a Philosopher's Stone she had found but LeFay didn't think she'd find one of those lying around anywhere anytime soon.

"There you are."

LeFay looked up, blinking owlishly at the person standing in her doorway, "Oh hey. What're you doing here?"

Amy frowned at the laptop and the T.V. playing FMA. The girl didn't watch anime but knew from LeFay's expressive love for the subject about the show. Amy and Ragan had come to refer to FMA as 'the taboo' and forbade LeFay from discussing it…which didn't do much to stop the otaku.

"I'm here to give you an intervention," Amy said firmly.

LeFay snorted, closing her laptop and pausing the movie, FMA: Conqueror of Shamballa. She stood up and stretched, "So what are you really doing here?"

Amy smiled, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "I just thought I'd offer to get you out of the house. Maybe find you a life."

Rather than be annoyed, LeFay laughed, "I guess I could use a break. Let me get ready and I'll be out in a minute."

Amy nodded and went down the hall to go talk to the old folks in the kitchen. LeFay quickly brushed her short brown hair and pulled on some socks and was ready to go. She was never one for fussing over her looks, just as long as she looked decent.

Walking over to the entertainment center, she went to turn the T.V. off when she paused and looked at the screen. It was the scene in the movie where Ed found that giant array and retraced it and accidentally activated it with his blood. The blood was the key piece that was missing for Edward to perform alchemy in this world but, sadly, LeFay had found it to be false. She had pricked her finger and tried it a long while back but nothing came out of it, along with a lot of other crazy antics she had done in desperation. She'd tried _everything_!

Just thinking of her failure made LeFay scowl at the T.V. with jealousy. Why couldn't it be that easy for her? Surely she hadn't done it wrong, so how did Ed get it to work? What was it about Ed's blood that made it so special? Why couldn't she just use hers? What made Ed so much better than her? Other than that he was utterly sexy, knew how to fight, and could perform alchemy with the clap of his hands, what with him seeing the Truth and all…

"HOLY CACKERFUNKLE!" LeFay cried and dropped the remote control as the realization came to her. Not even bothering to turn the T.V. off, LeFay ran through the house and went to go out the door. She called out to a surprised Amy, "Sorry, Amy! Something came up! I'll see ya later!"

LeFay jumped in her truck and sped onto the road. She had always driven the speed limit but now couldn't care less about being pulled over. Not when she had just made this amazing discovery! Screw traffic laws! She had a gate to cross!

Luckily there weren't any police patrolling the area and LeFay was able to make it to Miss April's without receiving any speeding tickets. The engine hadn't fully been cut off when she jumped out of the truck and ran towards the house. Throwing the common courtesy of knocking to the wind, she flung open the door.

A startled high pitch scream met LeFay's ears and the next thing she knew a stuffed pink bunny was thrown at her face.

"Ow," LeFay said with a dead pan face.

"LeFay? God, you scared me," Joeli said with a hand over her heart.

"So you're response was to throw the dog's chew toy at me?" she replied. LeFay picked up said chew toy and narrowed her eyes at it, feeling a weird sense of déjà vu.

"Joeli? What in the world is wrong with you child?" Miss April walked into the room from the kitchen, having heard her daughter's shriek. "Oh, LeFay. I wasn't expecting you."

"Neither was I," Joeli grumbled, going back to watching the flat screen that hung on the living room wall.

"It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Hey! Do you guys have water! I am mighty parched!" LeFay marched towards the kitchen, grabbing Miss April's arm along the way and pulling her in.

"LeFay? What's gotten into you?" the woman asked, concerned and yet suspicious.

Since the living room and kitchen were linked by an archway, LeFay was forced to lower her voice. "I've got to ask you a question about your trip to Amestris."

Her gaze sharpened on the younger girl, "Alright then."

"When you were traveling through the gate did anything special happen?"

Miss April frowned, "I'm not sure what that guy did to me when he sent me there but I wasn't awake for it." LeFay's shoulders were about to slump when Miss April continued, "But when Taylor sent me back I…saw something. A lot of something. I'm not sure how to explain it."

LeFay arched an eyebrow, "You mean like all the world's knowledge being crammed into your brain?"

She nodded, "Yes. To tell the truth I've never been so scared in my life. I didn't think it would end but then I was just suddenly sitting outside of the store where that man had found me the first time. When I got a hold of myself I drove home."

A ear-splitting grin encompassed LeFay's face, "You saw the truth. That means we've got a good shot at activating the array."

Miss April's expression was confused but a spark of renewed hope lingered there as well.

From in the living room they both heard Joeli call to them, "Momma! Christina's here so I'm gone."

Miss April collected herself enough to call back, "Okay! You two have fun!" They both heard the door open and close. Then Miss April fixed LeFay with a firm gaze, "Just tell me what we need to do."

The two were now sitting in the living room, the sheet of paper holding the prized transmutation circle on the coffee table between them.

"So, I have this theory and I'm pretty sure I'm right," LeFay spoke with confidence. "We know that alchemy doesn't work in this world without something specific. We know Taylor used a Philosopher's Stone but I think there's something else we can use. In the FMA movie there's this scene where Ed's in our world, trying to use alchemy. It doesn't work of course, that is, until he accidentally uses some of his blood."

"I thought you said you tried that already," Miss April commented, puzzled as to where this was leading.

"Yes, I used _my_ blood. And Ed used _his_ blood. The major difference between us is our connection with the gate. There's a gate in all of us, but in this world it's closed off. In Amestris, people's gates are more open. But for the few who have seen the truth they are more connected to the gate than anyone else. I wasn't able to open the gate because my gate is closed off. I haven't seen the truth so my blood was useless. But Ed was able to use his alchemy because he had seen the truth. You get what I'm saying?"

Miss April nodded with understanding, "Since I've seen the truth you think I can open the gate?"

"Yes. But more importantly your blood will open the gate."

"…I don't think I like the sound of that."

"It won't be a lot! Just a little prick and that's it. Come on, Miss A. It'll be easy," she reassured her, although extremely glad it she wasn't the one who had to do the cutting. Once was enough for her, thank you very much.

Miss April grimaced but relented, "I guess I shouldn't complain. It's hardly anything to be worried about if it can get us to Taylor."

With determination, Miss April left to the kitchen and brought back a knife. It took about ten minutes for her to get the job done, what with her reluctance to injure herself. But with LeFay's encouragements she finally managed to slice her finger.

"Owowowow," the woman gasped in a mantra. Droplets of blood landed on the piece of paper, marring the complicated design.

"Okay, that should be enough."

"It better be," Miss April muttered, nursing her injured hand. "I'm gonna go clean this up."

LeFay watched her go back into the kitchen once more, then turned to the array. She grinned to herself in excitement. It had been so long but _finally_ she was going to get to see her best friend again. She could barely contain herself and found herself moving the items on the coffee table out of the way for the coming transmutation. She moved the sheet of paper over to the center of the table, accidentally brushing her fingertips along the outer lines of the circle.

LeFay's eyes widened as the array lit up in response to her touch, the runes and lines glowing an intense neon red. She jumped as red electric sparks crackled around her and a wind blew in from nowhere to tousle her hair.

"LeFay!" Miss April yelled, running towards the room and was forced to halt at the doorway from the powerful gusts of wind. She dropped the cloth in her hand at the sight.

LeFay looked back down when she felt her right hand begin to tingle. Her stomach dropped when she saw black hands eating away her flesh, born from the eye that had split open across the transmutation circle. The terrified young girl gave a strangled cry, "Miss April!"

Miss April fought through the air currents, trying her best to reach her. They both stretched their arms to each other.

"Grab on!" LeFay shouted. Miss April inched closer, one arm stretched to its full length, the other shielding her face. The hands continued to break down her body, leaving her with a strange numbness. With her remaining hand, LeFay struggled to grab Miss April's. She had to reach her. They were supposed to bring Taylor home together.

But the alchemic wind proved to be to much for the older woman and blew her back off her feet. LeFay barely had time to register this as the eye swallowed her.

* * *

(-LeFay-)

The darkness left her vision and she found herself in a swirling tunnel of light. Panic skittered down her spine. This was the gate. She was floating _inside_ of the gate. Alone and terrified. And those _things_ were grabbing at her. Those lost souls of the gate were grabbing at her, seeking some sort of toll.

She had thought that she had completely believed. But what they say about 'seeing is believing' is true because it all suddenly became very real to her. And it was terrifying.

"No! Let me go!" LeFay screeched, kicking out of their grasps. She pushed forward, fighting towards the end of the tunnel where she could see a bright light. The hands continued to grab at her, pull at her, frighten her to where she was screaming bloody murder.

This was not how she had imagined it. She thought she was ready, but she couldn't have prepared for this. This was too much for her. This was not the way it was supposed to be.

"STOP!" LeFay cried yet again, pushing away towards the light. Along with the tugging from the lost souls, she was faced with the rising pressure threatening to throw her into the greedy little hands that sought her limbs. It was like the further she went the more weight pressed against her. Adrenaline coursed through her, giving her just enough strength to push into the light.

In the center of the light was a strange dark void. LeFay couldn't make out what it was for the first few moments but then she saw that the darkness was _moving_. It was a nest of those gate babies, all of them huddled around something. Whatever the something was, it was where the light was originating. With a gap in the black bodies, LeFay saw a body floating in there, one she recognized.

LeFay's heart stopped. How long had it been since she had seen that face? How many tears had she cried for the loss of the person right in front of her? It felt so unreal to see her after all this time, but she knew, absolutely _knew_ that this was real. She was really there and it made her want to cry for joy.

With renewed strength, LeFay wrenched away from the bodies at her back to dive into the sea of bodies in front of her. She forgot her fear. Her eyes ceased their crying. In exchange, a fierce rage burned within her and urged her forward until she reached the center.

"Taylor!" LeFay cried, holding the girl to her. Taylor's eyelids did not open. It seemed as if she were in a comatose state. Her skin glowed a blinding white light from her now frail frame, even shining through her tattered clothes. Her hair floated around her like it was in water, several feet longer than LeFay last remembered. In all, Taylor looked like some ethereal being. It frightened LeFay to an extent but she had bigger issues to worry about.

"I'm getting us out of here," LeFay said to the unconscious girl. With Taylor in her grasp, LeFay surged into the wall of bodies. That's when the screaming began. The children of the gate were not happy about LeFay stealing Taylor away, showing their displeasure with screeching howls. They flew towards the both of them and LeFay tried with all her might to keep them back. She twisted and kicked and hit, fighting to leave the nest of bodies.

As they neared the outer layer of bodies, something else began to happen. The light from Taylor began to burn out of control at different levels of brightness. Sparks raced around the entire containment of bodies and the children of the gate screamed in agony. The space they were in began to shudder as if it were threatening to collapse.

With a final push, LeFay broke away from the nest with Taylor in her arms. The next thing she knew they were both falling onto a white surface.

Panting heavily, LeFay shakily got to her hands and knees and glanced behind them. There stood the gate, just as she had seen it in the show but with a whole lot more sparks lighting around the doors as they closed. A couple cracks formed in the surface as it shook from the raging force inside it.

"This is impossible."

LeFay sluggishly looked to where the strange voice had come from. In the middle of the white space stood the unmistakable figure of Truth. A jolt of shock caused her to tremble. She had really made it here. _They_ had made it. LeFay had opened the gate and retrieved her friend from that hell and now they were in Truth's realm. And what would she do now? She would have figured the hard part over but she had never contemplated the equivalent exchange for passing through the gate. She had grossly miscalculated what this trip would take.

The gate behind them groaned from the pressure building up from within and pressing against it's doors, a concerning sound that LeFay tried not to think about as she scanned her friend over. Taylor was no longer glowing and appeared to be doing nothing more than sleeping. Yet, when LeFay shook her small shoulders she did not respond. She called her name and the girl never twitched. The only assurance that Taylor was even alive was her drawn out breathing.

"What did you do to her? Why won't she wake up?" LeFay demanded angrily of Truth.

Now, LeFay had never imagined that she would ever meet the gate's keeper, but she would have thought that it would be more intimidating, mocking, condescending. _Not_ bewildered and the tiniest bit fearful. Truth didn't even seem to hear her questions, watching the rumbling gate with trepidation.

"This can not be," Truth whispered. Then his nonexistent eyes snapped over to LeFay, "You ignorant mortal, what have you done?!"

Her airways constricted and her mouth felt like sandpaper, not letting her reply even if she knew what to say. Dread gnawed at the pit of her stomach as she wondered what exactly could make _Truth_ sound scared?

That's when the white realm flickered, like a bulb threatening to go out. The floor beneath them shook with tremors originating from both gates. Wait, both?! When had that other one appeared? Or had it been there all along?

All confusion dissipated when the most terrible cries she had ever heard invaded her ears. Truth had thrown back its head, screaming with the agony of a thousand voices. The black specs that outlined its body were buzzing around him like static, emitting an electrifying energy not unlike the sparks around the gates. It was a terrifying sight to behold and LeFay watched in awe until a prickle at the back of her neck warned her of impending danger.

Alarmed, LeFay glanced behind her and nearly let out a scream of fright. The gate was beginning to open again, little eyes peering between the cracked doors and black hands already squeezing out for both her and Taylor. Her instincts told her that if they were pulled in there they would not be getting a trip home.

With Truth still screaming in the background, LeFay hoisted herself up with Taylor slung over her shoulder. This would have proven more difficult in the past, however, Taylor's time spent in the gate had diminished much of her fat and muscle. The scrawny girl was by far no heavy burden and LeFay easily carried her away from the hands edging ever closer. She hurried past Truth who had fallen to its knees in pain and that's when she began to wonder just what the hell was going on. Why was Taylor in the gate in the first place? How long had she been there? Had taking her out somehow caused the whole realm to go haywire?

Tossing those thoughts aside, LeFay reached the other gate. This one was shaking and emitting sparks like the other one but not nearly as bad. Taking that as a good sign, LeFay struggled to open the doors. She dug her fingers into the crack and wrenched one of the doors open an inch. A crack formed where her hand had been, stinging her palm with a crackle of electricity. LeFay snatched her hand back and would have begun to doubt her idea to open the gate had she not looked back to see the arms from the other one floating across the space, over Truth's crumpled form, and nearing them. If she was gonna do this then she had to do it _now_.

Not heeding the sparks, LeFay put her back into opening the gate further. The white light dimmed harsher in response to her actions and still, she pulled harder. A low moan sounded as the door finally gave way and LeFay made sure there was enough room before she released her hold and jumped into the space.

This is where things became foggy and jumbled for LeFay. She comprehended that the inside of the gate was similar to the other but little else. The spiral of light. The little hands. The same sparks crackling around them, making her cringe. The force that had them falling down the endless tunnel. It was all so disorienting. It came as no surprise when she lost her grip on Taylor and they began to fall in separate directions.

* * *

**How was that? You guys finally got to see what happened to Taylor and you also got to see a little bit into my life. As for how the chapter started out, I actually did have a dream about that. I have a lot of weird dreams...**


	2. Chapter 2

**OHMERGAWD! Over 50 reviews for the first chapter?! I love you guys! Free glomps for all! **

**I had some fears at first about this chapter. But after going through and editing this chapter twice I feel that it's perfect. So enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Waking Up**

(-Winry-)

The young blonde haired, blue eyed mechanic busied herself by cleaning up her workshop. She had been meaning to do this for weeks but had never gotten around to it, always finding something else that needed tending to. Despite the country being mostly at peace and less and less soldiers needing automail, business had been booming for Winry. With her latest models being all the rage in Rush Valley, word had spread like wildfire to other cities and people now regularly sought her out. For a while she had been going back and forth between Garfiel's shop in Rush Valley and here at home in Resembool but she recently made the decision to settle down here at home. All of her work could be done from here and if the customers lived too far away to pick up their orders for themselves then she could simply ship them out. There was never a day where she wasn't covered in oil and she welcomed it with the knowledge that she was making a difference in the world.

Winry was rearranging her tools in a more orderly fashion that didn't involve them being strewn around all over the floor. Currently, she was searching around the room for a lost screwdriver when Den padded up to her and nudged her shoulder.

She looked over to the dog from her position on the floor where she had been looking underneath the bookcase. Winry narrowed her eyes, "You didn't run off with anything that wasn't yours, did you Den?"

"Woof," the dog answered. Then he padded out of the room.

Winry shook her head at the old dog and went back on her quest for the lone tool. No sooner had she resumed her mission did Den trot back into the room and nudge her again.

"What is it? I'm kinda busy here if you hadn't noticed."

The dog barked at her again and went back to the doorway. He turned around and looked at her expectantly. "Are you coming?" his eyes implored.

Winry gave up looking for the screwdriver in favor of seeing what Den wanted. She figured the dog was just hungry so she peeked into the living room to ask her grandmother if she had fed Den supper yet.

"Yeah, just a little bit ago," Pinako replied, not looking up from the book she was reading while lounging on the sofa and smoking her pipe.

"Hm," Winry hummed in response and walked into the kitchen where Den had gone. The food bowls were indeed filled but Den showed no interest in them. Instead, he paced around nervously.

"What is it boy? You wanna play?" she asked, scratching his head affectionately.

Her attention was caught by the ringing of the phone and she left the kitchen in order to answer it. She was pleasantly surprised to find it was Garfiel. Although the man was off the scale on the eccentric meter, she found that he was a very sociable person and easy to get along with. He was calling to check up on her and tell her of some new orders. She listened carefully, writing down some notes on the pad they kept near the phone for such occasions.

"Woof," Den barked, nudging her leg. She ignored him but he did it again and whined.

"Not now Den. I'm busy. I'll play with you later," she promised in a whisper and went back to her conversation. Den gave up and left the room to go outside.

About an hour later, Winry was back to work on cleaning up her workshop. Metal limbs were placed carefully on shelves, tools were organized where they belonged, and most of the furniture now gleamed as Winry polished furiously at their wood surfaces. She was almost three-fourths of the way done when Den came back to bother her.

"Woof," Den barked at her from the doorway.

She sighed, "I know I promised that I'd play with you but I really want to get this finished today. How about when I get done?"

The dog wouldn't take no for an answer. Den walked up to his owner and gave her a significant nudge.

"Den, I said _later_."

In response, he whined and scratched at her foot. He looked up at her with his big soulful brown eyes that begged her to pay attention to him.

She heaved another sigh, "I swear, you should be too old by now to pull off the puppy dog eyes."

Winry tossed her rag onto her work table in defeat and followed Den out of the room and down the hall. He scratched at the front door, indicating that he wanted out. She obliged and opened the door, looking outside to see that the sun had already set. A breeze blew at her lemon locks, cool for being the end of summer. The sky was darker than usual and when she squinted she could see looming clouds. A cold front had moved a storm over Resembool.

Den didn't go out into the yard as expected. He stayed on the porch, pacing back and forth while giving a low whine.

"What is it boy?" she asked in concern. Den wasn't usually afraid of storms and the storm hadn't even hit them fully yet. Why was he acting so strange?

Den came back over and scratched her foot, going back to the porch steps. It was a clear sign that he wanted Winry to come outside but she was having none of it.

"There's a storm coming in and I don't know about you but I don't want to be outside when it hits." With that said, she turned to go back inside.

"_Grrr_!" a growl emanated from behind her.

Winry turned back around to stare at her dog with wide eyes, "Did you just _growl_ at me?"

In answer, the dog walked back over to her. Clearly frustrated with his owner, he took the edges of the fabric of her pants between his teeth and pulled her outward.

"Hey! What's gotten into you?" she stumbled forward. Den let her go and trotted down the steps, turning to look at her and bark. Winry gave a growl of her own, "Fine! I'm coming! Are you happy now?" she walked moodily after the dog.

Den led the way. To where? She didn't know. He kept looking back at her to make sure she was following and when she wasn't walking fast enough he would gently butt his head against her leg to get her to comply. Honestly, his whole behavior today was exasperating her and whatever he was leading her to had better be important!

They walked up the familiar dirt road that led away from town and towards the graveyard. A chilly wind assaulted her skin, causing her to rub her arms with a shiver. Winry was beginning to question the old dog's sanity when Den suddenly made a run for it up the hill, as if he was too impatient to walk.

"Hey! Den!" Winry called after him but it was no use. He simply barked and ran up to the top of the hill where the rubble lay. Winry stopped to stare at the place where her friends' house use to stand before they burnt it down and was reluctant to trespass here. But Den gave a beckoning bark and, fed up, Winry stomped the rest of the way and into the remaining bits of house.

"I swear Den, you better not have brought me all the way out here just for nothing cause I'll…" Winry trailed off. Her steps halted as she stood there frozen. Den sat on the ground, sniffing the face of a body. A _body_. Winry didn't know if they were alive or dead, what with the darkness and the unmoving condition of the person, but she could see that the person was a young girl. Winry couldn't even tell if she was breathing. She was afraid to find out for sure. But if she was alive then she needed help. Something had obviously happened to her. The poor thing was out here, unconscious, in tattered clothes that covered a frail pale body, so pale that she could even tell in the dark of the night. What in the world had happened to her?

Swallowing nervously, Winry stepped over to the girl and lowered herself into a crouch. With trembling hands, she touched the girl's hand. She nearly withdrew at the feel of the icy flesh but forced herself to make absolutely certain. And so, she pushed down lightly at the girl's wrist with her fingertips. It took a moment but she felt it, the pulse. It was faint and slow but it was there all the same.

With a relieved sigh, Winry moved to turn the girl onto her back so she could examine her for any injuries. The clothes were a in bad shape but it didn't look like her body was, even if she appeared underweight. She moved on to the girl's face, sweeping aside her ridiculously long hair to see if she may have fallen and hit her head.

As the face was revealed, Winry let out a yelp and jumped back. It was like seeing a ghost. It had been so many months but, even in her malnourished state and the dark setting, Winry felt a wave of familiarity. But it couldn't be her, right? Ed and Al had told her themselves that she was gone. It couldn't be her.

To make certain, Winry looked closer at the girl's arm. Her heart stopped as she saw the undeniable proof. There on the girl's arm were the unmistakable tattoos that she had only seen on one person.

"Taylor?" Winry asked, looking to the girl's face once more. With tears in her eyes, Winry lifted her up by her shoulders, cradling her gently and calling to her once more. She didn't respond. She seemed so still that Winry panicked. What was wrong with her? What had happened to her? How did she get here? Winry asked the questions aloud, if only in the hopes that she'd hear her voice and wake up.

Den whined from beside them and nudged Taylor's shoulder. Winry looked to the dog and whispered, "This is why you brought me out here…" Den continued to nudge at Taylor's shoulder, even leaning in and licking her cheek. It roused her enough to cause her to open her eyes to slits.

"Taylor!" Winry called to her desperately. The girl didn't reply, didn't react in any way to show that she was aware of anything. As Winry brushed the hair away from her clammy cheeks, Taylor stared dully into space.

At this point, Winry was freaking out. It had been over five months since the last time she had seen her friend. Taylor had been staying here in Resembool with her until an intruder had knocked Winry unconscious and when she awoke Taylor had been long gone. Winry had learned later that she had reappeared in Central but that was all. No one had told her anything else. The fate of her friend had been summed up into the word of 'gone' as Ed and Al had put it. Winry took it that Taylor had either died or went home but either way she didn't expect to ever _see _her again! How could she be here? Winry was so confused and more than a little angry to see Taylor in such a sorry state. She wished that Ed and Al were here to explain to her what was going on. Surely they would know something about this. What in the world had Taylor gone through to leave her here like this?

"Okay, just calm down Winry. Forget about the how and why and focus on what's important," she told herself sternly, taking a deep, calming breath. The storm was closing in and soon it would be pouring outside. She needed to get Taylor inside before it hit. The poor girl was freezing cold to the touch. Not to mention it looked like she hadn't had a decent meal in forever. She'd surely catch pneumonia if left out here for long.

"Just hold on," Winry told her, maneuvering Taylor to where she could lift her on her back. She hooked Taylor's arms around her neck and slid her own arms under her legs, pushing off with a small grunt. The girl didn't weigh much but it was hard to keep her steady with her body so slack.

"Alright Den, lead the way," she told her pet. He barked and she followed at as quick a pace as her burden would allow.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

Darkness.

It's been my companion for so long. Always there, always beside me. Surrounding me. Holding me. Filling me. Whispering to me. Keeping me captive within its cold grasp. Never letting me go. Such a constant that I wonder where it ends and I begin. Is the darkness a part of me? Or am I a part of the darkness? Or are we one and the same?

How long have I been here? It's been dark for so long. I can't remember a time when the darkness wasn't reaching out for me with it's greedy little hands. The whispers are the only inconsistent thing here. They come and they go, fade in and fade out, but never speaking loud enough for me to hear their words. I have a feeling though that they are calling my name…like a song, or a mantra, or a quiet scream…

I can feel the hands at my wrist, the sensation like icy pricks. They want to drag me further into the dark. They pull at my body and I feel the hands again. I can hear another whisper and I try to shrink farther into myself. But it's no use. You can't hide from the darkness. It seeps and it slithers past every wall, coiling its way up your being and choking you until you can't breathe. How I hate the darkness. How it terrifies me. But I can't run. All I can do is let it claim me.

A sudden wetness swipes at my face. Am I crying? It confuses me because I can't remember the last time I cried. I didn't think I could cry here. The mystery is enough to pull me partially out of my numbness, the numbness that I've clung to in order to escape the darkness as best I can.

I hear another voice, louder this time, and it makes me cringe. I'm sure it called my name. It wants me. The darkness is calling me. Why can't it leave me alone? What did I do to deserve this? What will it do to me next? My heart speeds up due to my new jolt of fear. It's been a while since I felt my heart beat this hard, such is the extent of my fear.

I feel the hands at my face and I want to scream. This is different somehow. The hands feel more solid, more _real_. It makes me all the more frightened because the darkness is all the more real, able to consume me, hurt me.

I'm being moved. I have no control as I'm held securely in their grasp, the movements jostling me. I continue to hear that same voice, the voice that called for me. It continues to speak to me as if calling me, beckoning me to come away from my numbness. I want to refuse but I have no control. Things become more solid, like the wind pelting my face. I've never felt wind in the darkness but it's cold as I would predict, though the smell…I didn't know that darkness could smell so…sweet? Like flowers from a field. That's what my mind compares it too, although I can't recall ever being in a field of flowers. Or ever being without the darkness for that matter.

This voice is more persistent than the others. It wants to be acknowledged. I can't make out what it's saying but I sense an urgency. As if I _need _to listen to it. It's got to be a trick, right? What is the darkness up to now? What more does it want from me? When will it finally be satisfied?

It lets me go and lays me down on a soft surface. That puzzles me because I can't ever remember feeling anything soft. All I've ever known was the cold pressure of the darkness's hands. But I quickly adapt to this new sensation. Despite it being foreign, it is extremely better than the feel of the darkness. It's a great comfort in a place like this. I wish I could keep this soft feeling forever.

My body is being shaken. The darkness doesn't want me to relish in my newfound sense of peace. It calls my name again and again, taking my face in its warm hands.

Wait…

Warm?

Yes, warm…its so warm and _nice_. Like a ray of sunlight from a sun I can't remember. It's warm, seeking to comfort, not claim. The darkness has never felt so reassuring, so safe.

No. This can't be the darkness. The darkness is cold like death. These hands are warm with _life_. This isn't the darkness. Whatever this is, it's taken me out of the darkness.

With that realization, I grasp at the warmth with as much strength I can muster. I can actually feel my hands wrap around another's. I pull myself as close to it as possible, giving a shudder as the warmth seeps into me. The comforting warmth doesn't push me away. Instead it holds me closer. It's so soothing. These hands, this hold, I don't mind them. Even the voices I've heard are calming. So unlike the frigidness of the darkness.

"Taylor….Taylor….look….okay?…Taylor…come on…"

I frown, wondering what the voice wants. Its not commanding but more of words of encouragement. It wants me to do something. I just don't know what. I'm actually trying to understand what the voice is saying now. I listen as it tells me to…what?

I'm shaken gently, the voice wanting me to respond. It lifts my chin up and waves something in front of my face…

Waves…?

Yes, waves. Something is moving in front of me. I can see it. I can _see_! Its…it's a…hand? Yes! A hand! Its solid and peach colored, unlike the flimsy black hands of the darkness. It moves back and forth and I follow the movement with my eyes.

As if seeing my recognition, the hand moves away and is replaced with blue…and blonde…blonde hair, framing blue eyes. It's a face, the face of a girl. Her mouth moves and the voice I've been hearing acts in accordance with the lips. So that's where the voice has been coming from. Not the voice of the darkness but of a girl. Another human being. A real live person. Someone like me.

"Taylor? Can you hear me?" she asks, worry making her brows crease.

It takes a moment but I'm able to respond. I give a small nod. It's enough but I try to go further. I open my mouth and mimic the movements of the girl's to form one word, "Yes." My voice is so timid, so unsure, like it's afraid the words will be snatched up by the darkness to never reach anyone's ears. However, I am heard just fine.

Her face brightens, though tears form in her eyes as well. She wraps her arms around me once again and hugs me. It is then that I notice I'm bundled up in something soft. Blankets. I'm on a bed, in a room, in a house… A real house. Not the vast expanse of the darkness. I'm really out of the darkness? This is…real?

"I was so scared," the blonde says. "You weren't doing anything no matter what I did."

"I was in the darkness," I say carefully, still not used to speaking. It's weird because I know how to speak but I can't ever remember talking. It makes me want to keep talking just to marvel at the way my tongue and lips move to produce the words. My voice is so quiet compared to hers, although the blonde isn't being particularly loud. My vocal cords just aren't used to the strain of speaking yet.

She leans back and I shiver from the loss of warmth. The girl looks over her shoulder to call for her grandmother. Moments later a small elderly woman appears with a…cup, filled with something steaming…huh.

The woman has said something but I had been lost in thought. She hands the cup over to me and I instinctively grab it. I stare down at the swirling pools of liquid, wondering what I'm supposed to do now.

The blonde helps, moving my hands upward and the cup to my lips. It sparks my memory and I finish the action myself, swallowing the drink. It's so warm and sweet as it slides down my parched throat. I guzzle it down within seconds, welcoming the burn on my tongue.

"How are you feeling, dear?" the older woman asks, standing at my bedside.

I answer her in my mind before I remember that I can answer aloud now. Softly, I say, "Fuzzy. Everything's…been fuzzy. And cold. Still cold… Where am I?"

"You're in Resembool," the blonde answers with a smile, tucking the blankets around me more securely. I can't help but think how nice she is. "I'm not sure how you got here though. I was surprised when I…"

She continues to talk while I gnaw my lip thoughtfully. Resembool. I'm sure I've heard of it…It's a town…somewhere. Resembool…Resembool…so familiar…

"Taylor?"

It is only then that I realize I've been muttering the town's name out loud. I shake my head lightly and ask, "Resembool…you live here?"

Taken aback, the blonde glances to her grandmother in confusion. The old lady's brow furrows as she answers, "Yes, but you knew that Taylor. You've been here a few times before."

"I have?" I ask, staring off into space as if in a dream. Maybe that's why Resembool sounds familiar. "So, I know you?" That at least would explain how they know my name.

"Taylor?" the blonde asks, blue eyes wide with horror. She looks to her grandmother in a silent plea.

The woman's face is grim as she leans up to me to examine my head. I'm not really sure why she's doing so but I let her nonetheless. She presses around my temple and asks me if it hurts anywhere.

"No…should it?" I ask with a tinge of worry.

"Well, it would explain your memory loss." The woman releases me and gains a deep expression of concentration.

"Taylor, you can't say you don't remember us. It's me, Winry!" the girl says fervently, taking my cold hand in her warm ones and refusing to believe that I don't know her.

"Winry…" I repeat. The word rolls out of my mouth in a whisper. She says more to me but I no longer hear her. I'm lost in the familiarity of the word. I know it, yet I can't place it. When I think of it a sense of longing and security come with it… I've missed Winry. That's what this feeling is. I'm relieved to see her. I knew her…know her. Winry and her grandmother. I've been here. In Resembool. Have eaten dinners here on sunny mornings. Have laughed with others…others that were here. I wasn't alone….

I wasn't always alone. I wasn't always in the darkness. I once lived in the light, the golden light of the sun, so warm in it's intensity, so alive in it's golden stare. Those eyes. I know those eyes. I remember when those eyes went cold, from what I did. I remember… I remember!

"Ugn!" I whimper, curling in on myself as a blinding pain erupts in my head. I'm barely aware of the hands that touch me anxiously, the voices that call my name. I'm too far gone into the past…into my memories.

"D-did it work? Are they h-here? Did it work?!" I stammered in harsh, gasping whispers. I pulled my head out of the safety of my arms to scan the room as if looking again would reveal the answer. Both of them stared at me in utter confusion, not knowing what to do or how to answer. "They were…they were there. I was with them. Did it work? _Please_?!"

I couldn't stand it anymore. I scrambled out of the bed and escaped the room. They were still too shocked to stop me. My legs were shaky from disuse but I pushed them forward. I stumbled from room to room, searching for any signs that my last efforts hadn't been in vain. It had to have worked. But then, why am I here? If it didn't work then …oh God.

"Ed!" I yelled in a cracking voice, slamming open a door. "Al!" I screamed hoarsely, dashing into the kitchen. "Where are you?!" I pleaded, falling into the living room. Each place I was met with an empty room and my heart hammered at a faster pace each time.

The last door I came to I flung open, planning to run ahead. When I saw what lied behind the door my legs froze, my breath caught, and I very nearly screamed. It was pitch black, just like the darkness.

It was coming back for me.

It was reaching out for me with it's inky hands.

It would consume me and send me back into that dark oblivion, forever this time…

I fell backwards with a cry and scampered across the floor. I knocked into objects in my rush to escape but I didn't care. I couldn't go back there! I wouldn't let it take me back to that hell!

I'm not sure exactly where I was when I ran into someone. I fought against the hands at first until I realized that these hands were warm. These hands wouldn't hurt me. So I clung to the warmth like I did when I first woke up.

"Taylor, what's wrong?!" Winry asked me shakily. My frenzied search had left her frightened.

"Winry, please don't let it take me!" I sobbed, my fingers digging into her shirt. "Please let me stay! Please Winry, _please_! I don't want to go back into the dark!" I ended with a choked cry, holding onto her even tighter.

"The dark?" she asked and I whimpered in response. She looked past me to the open door leading out into the blackness. She seemed to comprehend that that's what had me so terrified and she rubbed my back, "It's just night outside Taylor. That's all."

"Make it go away. Make it go away," I chanted in begging breaths, burying my face into her shoulder. I heard her say something to Pinako, then the sound of the door closing reached my ears. I relaxed marginally but my tears didn't subside. I continued to cry into her shoulder, refusing to let go of the only human contact I'd had in what felt like eternity….eternity, in a black hell.

Winry sat me down on a couch, never once releasing her hold on me. I felt a blanket thrown over my shoulder thanks to Pinako and together they sat with me until the worst of my fears had calmed. A storm raged outside, rain pelting the windows and thunder shaking the walls of the house but it soothed me. Except for whispers, all I've ever known was silence where I've been. The noise was both a beautiful distraction and reminder that I wasn't there anymore. Because finally…_finally_…I had been set free. The knowledge struck me harshly and I wasn't sure how to react. It was still too soon, my experience still too raw.

"Taylor," Winry began, keeping her voice soft. She pulled me back slightly to see my face. "Feel better?"

I nodded and sniffed, although I wasn't really sure. Pinako reached beside her to the end table and grabbed a tissue, "Here, let's clean you up." She wiped at my eyes and cheek gently and it just made me want to breakdown all over again. I had been so lonely. All by myself. So deprived of human contact. Being with them both just made me want to weep with relief.

"Now, want to tell us what you were going on about?" Pinako asked, patting my hand in encouragement.

In a voice scarcely above a whisper, I asked, "Where are they? Are they okay? Did it…work?"

"They?" Winry asked.

"You mean Edward and Alphonse?" Pinako guessed correctly. I nodded frantically.

"Oh, they're on a mission right now," Winry answered helpfully.

"So…they're alive?" I asked with overflowing hope.

"Yeah, of course," she answered, a little unsure why I would ask. "Ed kept his job as a State Alchemist even after Al got his body back. They've been…"

I couldn't process her words after that. I closed my eyes and let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. This time, I did weep.

"Taylor! What's wrong? It's okay! They'll be back in a couple days!" Winry assured me.

I just cried harder. So it had worked after all. I had been so afraid that since I was here that I had failed. But they were okay…they were alive…and so was I…and I'd be together with them soon… It was more than I could have ever asked for.

* * *

**And so, the Ginja Ninja is back! Raise your hands if you thought I was gonna just leave her with amnesia. Naw, I wouldn't do something so harsh...then again, just look at all the other crap I've put Taylor through... *cough* Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially when it first switched to Taylor's POV. Did anyone notice how I started writing in present tense there? Yeah, it wasn't a bunch of typos. I did it to emphasize more from when Taylor was lost and confused to when she finally remembered. It was an interesting idea I thought I'd try and I'm curious as to how you guys liked it.**

**So, I'm thinking about posting a new story (as if I didn't need another one). But it's not really a story but a writer's guide to writing FMA fanfiction. I've seen a couple of them on here before but none of them ever get past a couple of chapters and I thought I could give some great tips from my writing experiences and what I've learned. Would any of you be interested in that?**

**Alright, that's it for me. See you next time, party peoples!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, everyone knows how I'm in college, right? Well, I'm finding out very quickly that I hate journalism. I didn't think things through when I signed up for it cause journalism deals mostly with politics... I _hate_ politics. At the end of this quarter I'm going to switch my major to english. It'll be better for me anyway, since I want to become an editor.**

**So, this chapter...man, it took forever to come out right. I know you guys must hate it but I'm so glad I only update this every two weeks. I just wouldn't make it if I was updating every weekend like with TBA. Speaking of TBA, someone pointed out what would be a great abbreviation for Reprieve. I think they left a review as a guest so I don't know who it was but they suggested, TBA:R, just like how Brotherhood for FMA would be FMA:B. Yep, I'm gonna roll with that from now on.**

**Please enjoy the newest chapter of TBA:R!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**At Last I See The Light**

(-Winry-)

Winry was never one to hide her emotions very much. When she felt happy she smiled, when she was angry she yelled, and when something upset her she cried openly. Having Taylor miraculously appear here, seeing her cower in terror, and then witnessing her sobbing her heart out was enough to cause tears to prick at Winry's eyes. But she let not one of them fall. Taylor needed her right now and Winry would be of no use if she succumbed to her own emotion. She had to stay strong for Taylor until the girl could stand on her own again. So, even though Winry wanted to cry for her friend who had been through so much, she held herself together.

Winry and her grandmother stayed at Taylor's side as she let it all out. How long they stayed there, Winry wasn't sure. But the time didn't matter. All the two Rockbell women were concerned about was the crying girl in between them. Even Den, being such a caring dog, wiggled his head onto Taylor's lap in the hopes that touch alone would soothe her. It seemed to work. Taylor drew on all three of their presences and eventually calmed down. Her tears subsided, and her breath evened out as she leaned against Winry's shoulder, one of her hands grasping Winry's while the other traced from Den's head to his neck and back again.

Pinako, seeing that the worst was over, rubbed Taylor's back comfortingly, "It's been a rough day and it's gotten late. How about we get you fed and cleaned up and put you to bed?"

Taylor nodded meekly, allowing Winry to help her up and to the kitchen where Pinako was already preparing a bowl of leftover soup. Winry was grateful for the older woman's foresight. Taylor's body might not be able to handle anything bigger.

"Just when was the last time you've eaten?" Winry asked as Taylor dug into the offered bowl of soup ravenously.

"Slow down. You'll make yourself sick," Pinako admonished.

Noticing her actions for the first time, Taylor lowered her spoon carefully, "Sorry. Guess I got carried away… I can't really remember the last time I ate anything." She stared into the mixture of noodles and vegetables, glancing up hesitantly every few seconds at the two women. In an almost fearful whisper, she asked, "How long… how long have I been gone?"

"It's the ninth of August now. It's been about five months I reckon."

Taylor gazed blankly at the older woman. Not a trace of her thoughts were shown outwardly but Winry had the feeling that she was shocked. After blinking a couple of times Taylor resumed eating her soup, slower this time. Her brows furrowed in thought as she mechanically ate.

Not being able to take the agonizing silence, Winry fidgeted and asked, "So where have you been all this time? Did you go home?"

"Home?…" she repeated as if trying to remember exactly what that was. Taylor frowned and shook her head sluggishly, "No. It wasn't home. I was in the dark….couldn't get out…so dark…"

Sensing that the girl's mind was retreating towards unpleasant memories, Pinako decided, "Let's just save the questions for tomorrow. I'm sure you're worn out, Taylor."

Taylor shook herself and gave a near inaudible answer, "Okay." She pushed her half-eaten bowl of soup away and rubbed her stomach, "Can't eat anymore."

"Alright. Let's go find you something more comfortable to wear," Winry suggested, gesturing to Taylor's grimy clothes. They left Pinako to clean up the kitchen and headed to Winry's room. Taylor kept hold of Winry's arm, both for balance and out of fear. But fear of what? Winry wanted to know what had Taylor so terrified but didn't dare to ask. She didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was.

Winry gathered the smallest clothes in her wardrobe: a pair of dark green sweatpants she outgrew a couple years ago but had never gotten rid of and an old gray T-shirt. They would still be too large for the tiny girl but it was the best she could do. They then went to the bathroom so Taylor could shower. Winry would have left to give Taylor her privacy but stayed at her fearful look. She settled herself on the toilet and talked to the other girl through the shower curtain. The conversation was only by Winry's effort but she felt better for giving Taylor a distraction. So she chatted away about how her day's had been spent recently.

After Taylor cleaned up, she dressed and Winry giggled at how her old clothes swallowed her. She helped Taylor pull out her outrageously long hair and, while brushing out the thick tangles, Winry made a note to ask Taylor tomorrow about cutting it. She'd be tripping over it if she didn't do something with it. On the bright side, Taylor looked worlds better and even seemed to relax. Winry glowed happily, seeing that Taylor already appeared to be getting better. But that thought halted when Winry offered her the guest bedroom to sleep in.

Taylor clutched at Winry's arm and pleaded, "Could I…could I stay with you in your room? I'm not ready to be alone again."

Winry's heart went out to the poor girl. Anger mixed with her sympathy and Winry wanted to know just who was responsible for Taylor's present state so she could give them a piece of her wrench!

"Of course," Winry smiled. She led her back into the hall, calling for Den to come to bed. He padded into view and followed the girls to Winry's room. The three of them piled into the bed, the furniture being just big enough for them to fit. Winry had made sure to leave a lamp on for Taylor's sake and as she began to drift off she gazed blearily at the low light, thinking of what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

(-LeFay-)

The chirping of birds woke her up, which wasn't that unusual. What LeFay found odd was that she wasn't in her bed in her room but lying on the grass outside. She blinked her eyes, bewildered as to how she had passed out somewhere outdoors. Funny, she didn't think she had drank that much last night… Come to think of it, she'd never been drunk before, nor did she even like the taste of alcohol. What the hell had happened?

LeFay sat up and peered with blurry eyes, cursing the fact that she had lost her glasses. She comprehended that she was in a forest but not why. A headache pounded in her temples, giving her the illusion that she really had gotten drunk or something similar but she knew better. For the life of her she couldn't remember what had happened last night. This whole situation just made her headache worse. It was too early in the morning to be dealing with this crap.

With an impressive scowl, LeFay stood up and brushed the grass and dirt off her T-shirt and jeans. She scoped out the area and came to the conclusion that she was not anywhere near her house. These weren't the woods surrounding her home; wasn't even the same sort of plant life, for that matter. It made her wonder if she had went somewhere last night. But where would she go? And alone for that matter? Maybe she was kidnapped or something? Or was this some sort of prank?

Hands on her hips, LeFay called out, "Am I being punked?!" No answer. No camera crew and family or friends coming out to laugh at her predicament. The only response she received was a fox gazing at her through the bushes.

"_FOX!_" LeFay squealed, her ADD kicking in. She darted after the fox as the animal leapt gracefully away. About five steps into her pursuit, a distinctive _crunch_ broke the relative silence in the forest.

Blinking in surprise, LeFay moved her foot to see what she had stepped on. A pair of black and dark pink glasses lay broken where her foot had been.

"Ah!" LeFay gasped, picking them up and nearly crying at the shape they were in. The frame was bent and the glass was cracked in one lens. "Why me?!" LeFay sobbed dramatically.

"_Caw_!" a bird called from the treetops as if it were laughing at her.

"Oh, shut up!" she yelled back at it. It flew away in response. "Yeah, you better run! You…stupid…"

An odd hissing noise forced LeFay to trail off and turn around. She nearly shit her pants at what she saw. An abnormally giant spider, standing on it's hind legs, and hissing at her while bearing its fangs. Now, what with her having an extreme case of bugaphobia, it was no surprise the way she reacted.

"_MOMMY!_" LeFay screeched, taking off into the brush like a rocket with a hungry, oversized arachnid on her tail.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

I sat by the window, feeling the rays of sun tingle on my skin as morning washed over Resembool. I hadn't dared to look out any of the windows or go outside after my last little incident, but when the first light of dawn crept through the curtains I couldn't resist taking a peek. I almost feared that it was teasing me, that as soon as I opened the curtains the light would disappear and my world would once again turn black. But the risk had been well worth it because the sunrise was breathtakingly beautiful. Never in my life had I seen anything more glorious. I knew that I had witnessed plenty of other sunrises but none of them had ever affected me this greatly. I reasoned that it was because of my time spent in my prison, kept in the dark and away from the sun. How I had missed the sun and it's warmth.

I longed to go outside but I dared not try that again alone. Once the sun had risen enough to dispel all the dark corners of the countryside, I had ventured out of the room to go see the sun in person. However, I hadn't made it halfway down the hall when everything began to blur as the frozen fear seeped into my body. The icy hands were reaching for me again and I could feel them graze my skin. I scampered back into Winry's room so fast but luckily not loud enough to wake the sleeping mechanic and her pet. As soon as I saw her the darkness retreated from my mind and I relaxed. I resigned myself to wait in the room until Winry got up. Obviously, I wasn't in the right mental state to where I could be left alone.

Last night had been… rough. Don't get me wrong. I didn't view my being here any less than a miracle, a miracle that I would be forever grateful for. But being…wherever I was, wherever that black hell was located, the darkness of it had left it's mark. The cold hands had caused me frostbite and I wasn't sure if I'd ever be the girl I once was. I had felt a little better after I had poured the happiness and fear out of me in the form of tears, but I remained attached at the hip to Winry. When Pinako and Winry agreed that it was late and we should be getting to bed, I clung to Winry and asked to not be left alone. I didn't want the darkness to come back and get me. Surely Winry was strong enough to protect me from it. She gave me an understanding smile and said I could room with her. Thankfully, she left a light on in the room and we piled in her bed for sleep. I pretended to rest until Winry had dozed off. Then I got out of the bed and sat at her desk, refusing to sleep. It could have been that I had already had more than a lifetime's amount of sleep anyway, but it was probably more because I didn't want to let my guard down, shut my eyes, and give myself to even the darkness of sleep.

I shuddered and leaned my head against the heating glass. I hated this. My mind was all messed up thanks to that stupid darkness. Of all things, I'm terrified of the dark? God, I felt like such a kid. But…I couldn't help it. It really did scare me. It scared me so much it _hurt_. It brought me pain just thinking about going outside at night. So much pain that I wanted to scream.

What exactly happened to me? I knew I had sacrificed myself to Truth in order to give Ed and Al their lives, but where did I go after that? Did I die? Or did I just…cease to exist? Shouldn't there have been nothing left of me? How did I get here?

Regardless of what happened to me or how I got here, I had changed. As I said, I fear the dark, but my mind's more messed up than that. My memories were now foggy. I remembered Winry, Pinako, Ed, Al, and most of the people in Amestris, but a lot of what we went through was jumbled up. Even my life before I came to Amestris seemed like a distant dream. It was confusing and irritating, even more so than the changes of my body.

Yes, I had noticed that my body had changed. I was skinnier, not anorexic, but tiny. For not eating anything for so long I wasn't nearly as emaciated as I would have thought. But paired with my ghostly complexion I looked sickly, and I was so _weak _now too. My tattoos (which I was shocked to see were still there) stood out so much against my pallor. My hair had grown too, enough to where I sometimes tripped on it. The purple streaks that I vaguely recalled being there had faded out, but I guess that's not surprising after being gone for over _five months_.

Had I really been in the dark for that long? Sometimes it felt like yesterday that I was here. Other times it felt like years had gone by. Had Ed and Al forgotten me?

Saving me from that sorrowful train of thought, Winry stretched in her bed and sat up with a yawn, "Good morning, did you sleep well?"

I gave her a small smile and lied, "Yeah."

She must have sensed something off about me because she studied me carefully and asked, "What are you doing up so early? Did you have trouble sleeping?"

I sidestepped her second question by answering the first one, "I wanted to see the sunrise. It's been so long since I've seen it." I once again turned my sights to the rising sun, gazing longingly at the outside world. "Would it be okay if we stepped outside for a minute? I want to really feel the sunlight."

She pondered this for awhile. I was afraid she would refuse my request when she responded. "Sure, but do you think that's a good idea? Last time you freaked out…"

"I'll be okay this time," I assured her, inwardly jumping up and down in excitement that she had answered yes.

She couldn't tell if I was being honest or not, but she didn't deny me this one wish. Winry rose from the bed and gestured for me to come with her. I suppose Den got lonely because before we even made it to the front door he padded down the hall after us.

Anxiousness washed over me as I watched Winry's hand turn the knob in slow motion. I had all the time in the world to turn back, to remain behind the safety of these walls. As a crack appeared in the doorway, I considered telling Winry we could just stay inside. Maybe I wasn't ready to face the world outside yet. Or maybe the world wasn't ready for me. Maybe the sun, in all its radiant glory, would reject me. Me, who has spent her last five months in shadows. If the sun's light touched me, would I feel it? Would it go right through me?

"Taylor?" Winry asked, her pause causing the door to stop in its opening.

I shook my head to myself. Just what had gotten into me? Its not like I haven't been outside before. This shouldn't be any different… Except, it was. To me, this was a pivotal moment; the first step in taking my life back. I had to do this. But even as I told myself this my legs refused to move.

I met Winry's curious gaze and tried to give a shy smile, "Sorry Winry. I guess I'm just worried about screwing this up."

To my surprise, Winry snorted. She opened the door fully, letting the sun's light in only to stop a few inches away from my feet. She stood in the doorway, bathed in a halo of light. "It's not that hard. All you have to do is move forward," she laughed and held out her hand to me.

I knew she was being literal but it meant so much more to me. I gave a genuine smile, the first that I've felt in ages, and took her hand. She led me outside into a sea of light.

Standing on the porch, I nearly gasped at the scenery. In complete awe, I soaked in the vibrant greens, the wind playfully batting at the trees' leaves, a vast blue sky where clouds intermingled, and so much more. Flowers of all colors, the scent of them on the breeze, the sound of birds singing their morning chorus, all of it was so beautiful. Is this how a baby feels when it is brought into the world? Because it felt like I was seeing for the first time.

"So, how do you feel?" Pinako's voice reached me. She had been sitting out here, smoking leisurely on her pipe while watching the clouds roll by. Now her beady eyes were trained on me.

I closed my eyes to focus on the most amazing thing of all: the sunlight. It seeped into my pale flesh, causing my skin to tingle in gratitude. The rays melted into my bones, beating back the chill engrained there and I sighed. It had been so _long_ since I had been this warm.

"Warm… I feel warm."

* * *

(-Taylor-)

I'm not sure how long we stayed outside. I sat there, relishing the taste of the sun, for an indiscernible amount of time. Everything just faded away and I was able to breath with ease. It pleased me to find that even when I closed my eyes an orange glow hummed over my eyelids.

But all good things must come to an end.

The Rockbells were busy people and they couldn't sit around dallying all day. They eventually got up to find work inside. They tried to leave quietly, to let me have my peace, but I noticed their departure and it had the opposite intended affect. The chill came back, despite the sun, and I scampered into the house, closing the door behind me. Not stopping to get catch my breath, I hurried to find them in the kitchen.

Winry looked up from the table where an automail leg laid before her in a tangle of wires. Surprised, she asked, "I figured you would have stayed outside longer."

I shuffled my feet, embarrassed at how dependent I had become, "I guess I'm not as ready as I thought…"

Pinako, from her place at the stove, told me, "It's alright dear. Think you can handle some eggs?"

We had breakfast. Well, I tried to eat all of my breakfast anyway. My stomach wasn't used to so much food so it wouldn't let me eat a lot. Winry just swallowed a piece of toast and resumed her task. I watched her for awhile, even after breakfast was over and Pinako had left to buy some groceries. I became so lost in a trance that it took me a few seconds to comprehend that Winry had laid her tools aside and was staring at me.

My face fell, "Winry? Did…did I do something wrong?" Was I bothering her to where she couldn't get her work done?

She shook her head but that didn't dismiss all of my apprehension. Something was up. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" I prodded her nervously.

She sighed and stared down at Den, the dog resting his head on my lap, "About last night." I swallowed but my throat had tightened. I bit my lip and waited for her to go on. "Do you know how you got here? To my house, I mean."

That had never crossed my mind. I guess I figured I had just popped up here in the house. I suppose that'd be ridiculous…probably. So I just settled on shaking my head slowly.

"Yesterday, Den came and got me. He made me follow him to Al and Ed's old house… I found you lying on the ground, unconscious. Do you know how you got there?"

My eyes darted around the room as I searched my mind for answers. Their old house? Why? Who…or _what_ had brought me there? Did the darkness finally tire of me and spit me out there? But why _their _house of all places? It couldn't have been a coincidence… What in God's name happened to me?

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, my breaths becoming more shallow with every intake. My mind was trying to find a loose thread but the closer I got the more my head throbbed.

"Taylor?" I felt a warm hand on my arm.

"I'm f-fine…. Head just…hurts a bit," I mumbled. I pushed myself away from those thoughts, focusing on the here and now. Blinking my eyes, I forced my breathing to stabilize. I shook my head and finally answered Winry's question, "No. I don't know how I got there. Or, I don't remember at least. I can't really remember most of theses past five months…just that I was in the dark…"

"What do you mean by 'the dark'?" she asked, her head cocked to the side.

I shrugged and looked away, "I'm not sure… It was like some black prison I couldn't get out of."

Winry's brows furrowed, "Do you know how you got there? Or what happened to you the day you disappeared?"

I hesitantly brought my gaze to Winry. I could tell just by her expression that she had no idea, but I asked her anyway. "Ed and Al…they never told you about what I did? Or how Al got his body back?"

Her eyes widened, "No. Do you know?"

"How could I not?" I asked, almost to myself. I stared down at my hands blankly, "I died for them after all." Winry gasped but I went on. If I didn't tell her everything now then I never would. So I explained in halting sentences, "There was a big fight in Central… There was a woman, Dante. She…wasn't good. She used her alchemy to control me and I…I… I fought Al and Ed. It was my fault… I k-killed Ed. I broke through the alchemy afterwards but it was too late… The gates were opened, Dante and the Homunculi were sucked through with me… But I came back. I hadn't lost everything yet… So I exchanged my soul for Edward's and my body for Al's. The last thing I recall is being pulled into the gate. By all rights, I shouldn't be alive right now. Shouldn't exist at all…"

It's a good thing Winry was sitting. When I glanced back at her, her face had gone pale and I think her legs would have given out on her. I gave her time to overcome her shock and get her thoughts together.

I'm not even sure why I told Winry everything. Was it because she deserved to know? Cause I felt strangely sad that Ed and Al never told her? Cause I just wanted to talk about it? All of those things? Or did it just not cross my mind that telling her might not be a good idea? Somehow, I couldn't find it in me to care very much about the reason.

"Do…"

I snapped my head up. Winry had regained some color and now her expression was one of thoughtfulness.

"Do you think that they know?"

I interpreted that she meant Ed and Al. I frowned and furrowed my eyebrows, "Maybe. For all I know they could be the reason I'm here."

Winry startled me when she abruptly stood and swiftly walked out of the kitchen.

"Winry?" I called, chasing after her. "What are you doing?"

She stopped at the phone, "I'm gonna call them and ask them."

For reasons unknown to me, I panicked and intercepted her reach for the phone, "Don't! Please, Winry!"

Her mouth opened in surprise and she blinked, "Why? Don't you want them to know you're here? Don't you want to know what happened?"

My face pinched with the agonizing decision. Yes, I did want them to know I was here, alive and well. Yes, I wanted to talk to them, hear their voice. But… I just wasn't ready for it… What if…after that night…they hated me? I mean, I _killed_ Ed! The memory of his death was still strong in my mind, despite the heavy fog. He _should_ hate me. There's no forgiveness in something like that. Al should hate me too. And even if they didn't, they had probably moved on by now. They were living better lives now…without me. I messed up so much for them, screwing up one thing after another. God… _I _even hated myself.

"Just please, Winry," I begged, close to tears now. "I'm not ready yet… don't tell them I'm here."

"What are you going to do when they come back here? Cause they will eventually. Ed's always breaking my babies."

I couldn't even crack a smile at the joke, "I'll be ready then… I'll have to be."

She touched my shoulder. After a moment, she nodded, "Alright. I won't mention anything about you. I'll just make sure they're gonna hurry home soon."

I sighed, releasing all the built up tension, and moved out of the way. Winry claimed the phone, dialed a number, and asked to be put through to Ed. I could only guess that she was trying the dorms. It was her best bet for finding them but if Ed was out on a mission there'd be no hope finding him.

"There you are. What have I told you about calling in?" Winry admonished the person on the other end of the line. I assumed that it was Edward. A sudden urge to wrench the phone away from her overcame me but I shook it off. I wasn't ready to talk to Ed yet, not matter how much I wanted to.

"It's been almost _three_ weeks! You guys could at least take the time to call me so I know you're okay!" Winry continued. A few moments passed and Winry sighed, "Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, I was wanting to ask about something." She paused and glanced over at me. "Um, you guys haven't been doing anything…_weird_ lately, have you?" A loud reply answered her and Winry held the phone away from her ear with a wince. "Well excuse me for caring! Jeez!" She put the phone back to her ear and visibly calmed herself. "Just, come back home as soon as you can. Don't go off on another mission. I need you to hurry home….. Oh, we're okay! It's nothing like that. But something's happened and we need you guys here….. Okay, I'll see you then."

She turned to me with a triumphant smile, "They'll be back sometime tomorrow! I hope that's enough time for you to be ready.

My stomach twisted. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Was I ready to face them in just one day? I just didn't know.

Winry sensed my distress and patted my shoulder, "Hey, everything will be fine. I'll be with you every step of the way."

My lips quirked upward, "Thanks Winry. You're a great friend." I guess it didn't matter if I was ready or not. Tomorrow would come no matter what and, for better or for worse, I would see this through.

Feeling slightly better, I turned to head back into the kitchen….and promptly fell on my face.

"Ow," I mumbled, leveling a deadpan look at the hair that had tripped me.

"You're hair is way too long," Winry commented.

"Gee, I hadn't noticed," I replied, feeling a spark of my old sarcastic personality coming back. She reached down and heaved me up, pulling the dangerous hair away from my feet so I wouldn't have a repeat accident.

"I can cut it for you," she offered.

I pouted, "I know I should but I like feeling like Rapunzel. I've never had hair so long before."

"…what's Rapunzel?"

"Oh, you know, girl with super long hair that glows when she sings." Then I stopped and became lost in thought, completely missing the strange look Winry was giving me. _If I sing will my hair glow?_ It was worth a try. "_And at last I see the light!_"

…nothing happened.

I sighed, "Wishful thinking."

"Maybe you hit your head harder than I thought when you fell."

"Or maybe I got the wrong song?" I tried. I could barely remember the movie now so it was entirely possible…my hair might still glow…

Winry snorted and pulled me to the kitchen, "Let's go cut your hair before you break out into song again."

"Or maybe if you sang with me?" I asked, still debating on ways to make the magic work.

Winry didn't reply but as she went to look for scissors I swear I heard her say something about brain damage.

* * *

(-Ed-)

"Is everything alright?"

As Edward placed the phone down on the receiver, he met the concerned gray gaze of his younger brother. "I'm not entirely sure," Ed answered honestly. "Winry said that her and Granny were okay but something's not right. She seemed…suspicious of us for some reason."

Al contemplated this, sitting cross legged on a nearby bench. He rose to follow Ed out of the lobby and back to their dorm room where they dug out their suitcases and set into the familiar routine. There was barely a week that went by nowadays where they weren't packing up and heading out somewhere. Months ago, Ed had returned to his job with one goal in mind: to stay busy. So far he'd been successful, hardly ever having spare time to let his mind roam leisurely. He was more focused and driven now than ever before. In the beginning, he worried that he was depriving Al of the normal life he had finally regained. However, Al reassured him daily that there was nothing else he'd rather be doing. That still didn't keep Ed from feeling guilty about it from time to time.

"Do you think she knows what we've been doing?" Al finally asked.

Ed shrugged, throwing his last shirt into his suitcase and snapping it closed, "Probably not. But it wouldn't matter…besides her giving us bruises from her wrench." Ed shuddered, then went on, "The last sighting was up north and no more leads have come in, so now's a good-a-time as any to head back home."

Al cocked an eyebrow, "That's unlike you." Ed frowned, giving him a 'what are you talking about?' look. Al explained, "Usually you wouldn't let anything stop you, lead or no lead."

He paused, deliberating how he should answer. Sighing, he scratched his head, "I guess I'm just worried. The way Winry sounded…" Ed shook himself and grabbed his suitcase. "At any rate, we're not accomplishing anything here. We might as well go. Plus, my leg has been bothering me the past week."

The sandy haired boy didn't argue any further, but he remembered to point out, "Don't forget to let the general know we're leaving."

Ed bristled, "Uh….general who?" Al narrowed his eyes dangerously and within seconds Edward caved, "Alright, alright! Fine, I'll tell him. But you know that bastard is gonna give me a hard time. He always does."

Alphonse gave him a sweet smile, "Great! While you call him I'll go to the train station and get our tickets." He swept out of the room cheerfully, leaving Ed's eye twitching at his younger brother.

Groaning, Ed made the walk back to the lobby to use the phone. Giving the device a death glare, he picked it up and dialed the number.

_Please don't pick up, please don't pick up, please don't pick up_, he repeated the mantra inside his head.

Sadly, his pleas were ignored as someone answered.

"Hello, you've reached General Mustang's office. What can I do for you?" a peppy voice asked, one that was definitely _not_ Roy Mustang.

Ed exhaled in relief, "Oh thank gate!"

The person on the other end hesitated for only a moment before giggling, "Edward? If you were wanting to talk to Mustang I can go get him for you…"

"NO!" Ed shouted immediately in an effort to stop her.

She laughed again, "Jeez, relax. I was just teasing."

He rubbed his face tiredly, "Not funny, Tegraia."

The newest member of Mustang's team responded in a pouting voice, "_I_ thought it was funny. Anyway, so what are you calling for? Had a break in the case?"

Ed shook his head. Then he remember that she couldn't see him and answered, "No, but something's come up and me and Al need to head to Resembool. Can you let the general know?"

"Sure, but why-" whatever Tegraia was going to ask was cut off by an unmanly scream from somewhere in the background. "Oh, for the love of…" the woman muttered.

"…Tegraia? What's going on over there?" Ed asked carefully, though fearful of what the answer might be.

"Oh, nothing! Hehehe…" Tegraia laughed nervously. Then she let out in a rush, "I'll give the general your message. Take care on your trip!" Right before she hung up Ed heard her yell angrily, "I'M GONNA GUT YOU AND STRING YOU UP BY YOUR-!"

Then the line was dead.

Edward stared at the phone for a minute with wide, confused eyes. Then he slowly hung the phone up.

"I don't even want to know," he shook his head as he left to meet up with Al.

* * *

**So now you know what happened to LeFay...sorta. It's pretty easy to guess where she is once you think about it. And it seems Ed and Al have been up to stuff. And yes, there is a new addition to Mustang's team. You'll see more of her later on. Thanks to Tegraia Souma for letting me use her.**

**Things really start ramping up in the next chapter so stay tuned! :3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, I have an important message for everyone so please read this. I wouldn't normally do something like this but I'm tired of it and I just want to put this behind me. If you've read the acknowledgements for TBA then you know that I became a fanfiction writer because of a story called Different by Nayru Elric, which also sparked TBA's creation. Months ago Nayru told me that TBA was a copy of her story Different and was very upset. I messaged her and told her I was sorry she was upset but to please explain to me why she thought that, because I knew for a fact I didn't copy her. She told me some points that I completely disagreed with but I made sure about anyway, asking Taylor and my buddy Rokuchuchu (because they've read both stories) if I had somehow subconsciously copied anything of Nayru's. I was upset myself that I might have actually done it without knowing it, but they reassured me vehemenately that they were completely different. Still, Nayru stuck to her beliefs and so we just agreed to disagree and left things at that.**

**Now, what I'm getting at is that I've recieved a message recently about how it's going around that TBA is a direct copy of Different. I don't know who's spreading that around and I don't really care. I just want to get this out in the open so I could hopefully put this behind me. You guys know me and know how much I hate plageurists, especially since TBA has been copied twice. But I want to leave it up to you guys to decide whether I'm at fault or not. If you've heard about this before now, or even only just now, then I implore you to go read Different and come to your own conclusion. It's the only way I could think of to solve this once and for all. I promised Nayru I wouldn't do this because she was worried about getting flamed by all of my readers (which I hope you guys don't, flames are bad) but I also said that if I heard more about it like this then I would have to do this.**

**So there, I've said my piece. I didn't want to seem like I was ignoring it because that makes me look guilty so I wanted to get it out there. I'll let you guys decide, but whatever you think I'll stand by my innocence. And please, whatever you do don't send Nayru hate mail or anything. She's a cool chick and a great writer and I absolutely loved Different, she's just worried is all. I expect you guys to go about this maturely, as I have done. Maybe that's just my fear of confrontation talking but eh. I'm not mad at her, I just want to move on from this.**

**With that said and done, let's move on to what you came here for. The new chappy! Which, I might add, has the most original title ever!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**The chapter after three**

(-Taylor-)

"Again?"

I turned to see Winry's incredulous stare. The accusing way she said the word made me embarrassed. "Yeah, it's just…" I trailed off, averting my gaze to the floor.

I could feel her eyes on me, watching me as I sat by the window. Last night I had stayed in Winry's room again, not yet ready to be alone. Winry had only just woken up and found me perched by the window for the second morning in a row.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sliding to the edge of the bed to sit closer to me.

I nervously picked at my clothing and tried to fib my way out of it, "I wanted to see the sunrise again, that's all."

"That's not _all_. You didn't sleep any, did you? Or the night before?" she came to the correct conclusion. With her arms crossed in front of her, she looked an intimidating sight.

I shrunk closer to the window, switching tactics, "I'm sorry, Winry. I just… I can't… I'm sorry." I feared that I had somehow made her angry and was reluctant to look her in the eyes. She must have sensed this because she uncrossed her arms and spoke more gently.

"Taylor… It's okay. I'm just worried about you. If there's something bothering you I'm here to listen. Heck, maybe I can even help," she smiled.

My eyes darted back and forth from her to my hands wringing the mess out of my pants leg. Hesitantly, I told her, "I don't think this is something you can help me with… I think… I think I'm gonna have to learn how to deal with this on my own."

Winry wasn't one for backing down. Taking my hand into her warm firm one, she asked hopefully, "Can you at least tell me what's wrong?"

I sighed, "I'm not sure how to explain it."

"Are you just nervous about today?" When she said 'today' I knew she was referring to Ed and Al's inevitable arrival. Truthfully, it did worry me. How would they react? How would _I _react? It was disconcerting, and yet, a more immediate issue weighed on my mind, one that I couldn't shake off and had been plaguing me since that first moment I had come to my senses.

"It's…something else," I admitted truthfully.

"Then just take your time," she reassured me.

We sat there for a few minutes. While I collected my thoughts together I watched the sun ascend into the sky, brilliant and blazing. I soaked in the dull heat in an effort to gain strength. The rays were smiling on me, so why couldn't I smile back? Why couldn't I just be happy to be back? What was wrong with me?

"I'm scared," I admitted, my voice breaking. Winry's hand tightened around mine, encouraging me to keep going. "What if… when I go to sleep… I never wake up? What if the darkness comes back for me? But… I'm scared that the damage has already been done." I gazed up into Winry's blue irises and I desperately asked, "What if I lost a piece of myself to it? Sometimes I think that I can still feel it crawling over my skin and I'm scared that it's inside me, waiting to take me back. There's something wrong; I can _feel_ it."

"Taylor," she calmed me, holding me by the shoulders, "No one expects you to be exactly the same after what you've been through. It's okay to be scared and confused. You've earned every right to cry and you don't have to be strong. You've got friends here for you and we'll protect you no matter what. It'll take time to heal but things _will _get better for you. I promise."

I sniffled and wiped at my eyes, "And I can't thank you enough for that but… I'm not sure that, even if I had all the time in the world, I'll be able to be the girl I once was."

We sat in silence for a few moments, Winry pondering something and me thinking about something I said. I had felt it before but had never put it into words until now: that feeling of wrongness. Somewhere deep inside of me I knew without a doubt that something was terribly wrong. I just didn't know how I knew or what it was. But I had a horrible feeling that I would find out. Soon.

"Would it help if you had a reminder?"

"What?" I asked, pulled out from my thoughts so suddenly I had no idea what she was talking about.

She grinned, "I'll just have to show you then." Winry grabbed my hand and enthusiastically dragged me out of the room. As she led me down the hall and into the guest room I wondered if she had lost her mind.

"What are we doing in here?" I questioned the determined mechanic as she let me go to rummage through a desk.

"I know he keeps it in here somewhere…aha!" she cried, turning to me with a pleased expression. "Look what I found~," Winry sang and retrieved an object from the desk drawer. At first I thought it was one of her tools and I wondered why it was so important for me to see it. Then I _really_ looked at it. The silver metal shone just as brightly as the day it was created and I gazed in awe at its beauty.

"That's…" I tried but couldn't finish. My hand reached out towards it, hovering in the air.

"Your flute, right?" she asked with a happy smile. As she handed it to me her brows furrowed, "Well, that's what Al called it anyway. I, uh, accidentally found it one day when I was, um…cleaning! Yeah, I was cleaning."

I barely registered her words, though somewhere in the back of my mind I knew she wasn't being entirely truthful. My attention was solely for the instrument in my hands. Its surface was just as smooth as I remembered and my hands ran down the length of the flute again and again. Memories flooded back to me, little things I had forgotten; memories from both here and from back home. My lips tugged up when I remembered holding a flute for the first time and how the band director told me I was holding it like a chicken leg.

I looked up to Winry, her face set in an amused expression as she watched me. "How…What is this doing here?"

Leaning back against the desk, she explained, "Al was recovering in the hospital after…" _You died and he regained his body_, were the words she didn't say. "Anyway, the day Al was discharged Miss Izumi sent Ed and Al's stuff back to them, including your bag. They brought it here and I assume your bag's still somewhere around here but I found that accidentally."

I raised an eyebrow, "You were looking for something to tinker with, right?"

Her jaw dropped, "H-how did you know that?!"

A small closed-lipped smile played on my lips as I went back to admiring the flute, "I guess I just know you, Winry." As I stared at the instrument a question entered my mind, "Why would they keep this?"

"For the same reason that Ed became so angry when he found me holding it, about to take it apart. Al said it was because he didn't want to lose any more of you." I nearly choked on a stab of emotion and this time I didn't need the sun to feel warm. I hung onto every word Winry told me as she went on, "I apologized to Edward later that day and he actually confided in me. He said he missed the music and regretted never telling you how beautiful it sounded."

I had no words. Sharp emotions constricted inside of me and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If they had kept my stuff… didn't that mean they wanted to remember me? That they still cared enough to where they would hate to forget? It sounded too good to be true and since I didn't know how to respond I simply stood there, gripping the flute tightly.

Winry glanced down at the flute, eyes shining, "Do you think you could play it for me?"

"Play it?" I repeated numbly.

"Yeah! I've never heard you play before. I'd love to hear you now. And, if anything, this should help you out, right?"

I cocked my head to the side, not fully convinced but reluctant to argue, "I suppose… I'm not sure if I'm good anymore… I think I've forgotten how to play."

"You won't know until you try," she replied perkily.

"Hm," was my brilliant response. I held the flute closer to myself, wondering how to start. Deciding that the ready position wasn't a bad place to begin, I turned the flute around to where the mouthpiece side was on my left and I brought it level with my chin. I blinked in amazement as my fingers settled without conscious thought on the right keys, save for the thumb that securely supported the long structure. Muscle memory is a wonderful thing. But things weren't as easy as that. The songs themselves were vague in my memories, making the fingerings for them an even greater mystery.

_Scales_, I told myself. _Just start with scales and warm up to it._ So I did. I brought the mouthpiece to my chin, the oval hole settling under the curve of my bottom lip. Taking a deep breath, I blew into it.

…

"…was it supposed to make sound?" Winry asked after I accomplished nothing but silence.

"Yes," I sighed, my arms drooping. I should have known it would be difficult. I mean, I couldn't even produce a note on it! It was like I was back to square one in learning music.

Seeing my defeated posture, Winry put her hands on her hips and huffed, "Don't give up after one try! If you do you'll never remember how to play. You do want to play it again, right?"

"Yes…badly," I nodded. Music was an old love of mine, always with me through the ups and downs. Just holding my flute had always brought me a sense of security. Although frustrated with my loss of ability to play, I felt the safest I had since waking up. And maybe Winry was right. Maybe this would help me remember and overcome my fear and insecurities. It was worth a shot.

"Good!" she beamed. "Let's go downstairs for breakfast and afterwards you can give it another shot."

* * *

(-Ed-)

His eyes displayed no emotion as he eyed his opponent warily. Edward chewed his lip thoughtfully as he mentally filtered through his options. There weren't many, to his dismay.

"Well?" Al challenged.

Ed narrowed his eyes and grunted, "Discarding two." He tossed aside a couple of cards and drew two more. He nearly smiled when he saw the jack…and he actually frowned when he found a two instead of the ten he had hoped for.

"Not what you were hoping for?" Al grinned from across the small table between their train seats. He had hit the nail on the head, reading Ed like an open book.

Edward scowled, "I fold." There was no point in continuing this round when all he had to show for it was a ruined straight, so he tossed the cards aside. "What'd you have anyway?"

Al's grin widened as he humored his brother and turned his cards around. There in his hands were all four tens.

Ed's eye twitched at the tens that mocked him, "There you are, ya little bastard."

"Brother, don't be a sore loser," Alphonse practically purred as he raked in his winnings.

Ed didn't reply, choosing to sulk and look out the window at the passing scenery. He would have won…had Al not forced him to remove his coat and jacket to prevent him from cheating. Grumbling to himself, Ed grabbed said jacket and coat and shrugged them back on as he stood.

Al raised an eyebrow and gave the barest hint of a smirk, "Done already?"

"We're almost to Resembool anyway," Ed explained, not commenting on the fact that he was on a losing streak.

"Whatever you say, Ed," his little brother shook his head, obviously seeing right through him.

His frown deepened and, in his blunt manner, announced, "I gotta take a leak." Then he stormed off in the direction of the bathroom. He didn't enter the small room though, passing it in favor of exiting the car through the back door.

Ed breathed in the fresh air, slumping lazily over the guard rail and fixing his gaze at the tracks flowing underneath the train so fast they blurred. He was so transfixed on them that it took a minute for him to realize that the tracks were becoming less blurred, a sign of the train slowing down.

"There already," Ed sighed, anticipating what lay in store for him and Al when they got to the Rockbell's house. Knowing Winry, there would be wrenches involved…lost of them.

The train slowed to a stop faster than expected and Ed heaved one more sigh. He removed himself from the rail and looked to his left to see the train station. Instead of the structure he was used to seeing he found rolling hills instead.

"What?" he asked himself, going to the edge of the train car to peek around it. Farther down the tracks stood the familiar train station. Then why were they stopping out here?

Confused, Ed swung open the door and reentered the train. He found his brother already standing and peering out the windows in bewilderment, as did the few other passengers.

"Brother," Al looked up when Ed approached. "The train's stopped too soon."

"Gee, I hadn't noticed," Ed replied sarcastically. "Let's go find out why."

The brothers left the car and progressed towards the engine room. A couple of attendants were running around just as confused as the passengers, making both Elrics glance at each other. With the same thought in mind, they strode to the door of the control room. Before Ed could even touch the doorknob the door slammed open and he was knocked backwards, nearly taking Al down in the process.

"Brother!" Al exclaimed in alarm as they both looked to see what had hit Ed.

A dark silhouette stood in the doorway. From Ed's position he could see a fraction of the control room past the figure's legs. A man lay passed out inside, presumably the conductor of the train. As Ed sat up on his elbows his gaze wandered up the figure's form and was shocked to see he recognized the man.

"It ends here, Fullmetal Alchemist," he proclaimed in his deep, threatening voice. With no time for Ed to retort, the man charged forward with an outstretched arm. In the blink of an eye Ed processed the situation and reacted almost automatically. His left leg snapped forward, hitting his attacker in the chest and, utilizing all of his strength, he used the man's momentum to flip him over and behind him.

Ed flipped himself into a standing position, Al coming to flank him. Facing their enemy, Ed snapped, "You don't ever give up, do you Scar? And here I was beginning to think you had taken a vacation."

Scar lifted himself off the floor with ease and met Ed's glare, "I was biding my time until you were away from the rest of the military. Out here, there is no one to come to your aid, Edward Elric."

"Tch, as if I need their help to take you down. I'm not as weak as I was when we first met." It was true. Over the months since then Ed had gotten stronger in both body and mind, allowing him the confidence he blatantly exhibited now. "I assume you're the one who stopped the train early?"

Scar made no reply, his blood red eyes darting back and forth between Ed and Al as if contemplating their next move.

"Al, do me a favor and take all the workers and go get the passengers off the train. This could get messy."

"Are you sure?" Al asked, his fighting stance faltering.

"Yeah. I can hold him off until you get back," he replied, his eyes never leaving the dangerous Ishvalan. Now, Ed wasn't stupid. Although he was stronger he knew he couldn't defeat Scar on his own. He didn't need the military's help though, just his brother's. When he had first been assigned the task of hunting down Scar, Ed was hesitant about letting Al come with him. He wasn't keen on putting his brother in that kind of danger. But Al had refused to let Ed go in it alone, saying that just because he had his body back didn't mean Ed had to be overprotective. To be honest, Ed was partially thankful. Many people only thought about him being the prodigy, the great Fullmetal Alchemist, but Al was just as special and was undeniably the better fighter between them. Always had been, always would be.

Al swiftly came to his decision, putting his faith in Edward, "Alright. Just be careful." He rounded up the workers and was out of there.

"That was awfully nice of you to wait," Ed commented.

"There's less people in my way now," Scar said logically.

And then the fighting commenced.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

I sat on the porch steps, enjoying the afternoon sun and how its light glinted off of my flute. It was an achievement in and of itself that I was able to sit out here alone. Well, I wasn't really alone. Den was laying beside me and the front door was wide open where I could see Winry and Pinako working just inside. Winry had said that she could sit out here with me but I reluctantly declined. What I was trying to do was build some backbone and not be so dependent…but it wasn't working very well. About ten times already I had went to run back inside, stopping myself at the last second after reminding myself dozens of times that Den was with me and I could see Winry. The fear was steadily creeping up on me; I could feel it. It wouldn't surprise me if I gave up altogether in the next few minutes. For now though, I tried to distract myself with my flute.

The instrument hadn't left my grasp since Winry gave it to me. It was like a security blanket for me, so much so that I probably wouldn't be able to sit out here like this without it. All day I had been reacquainting myself with the flute. My first accomplishment was when I finally produced a note and by the time noon came around my many poor attempts paid off. I played a b flat scale! Albeit, it was cringe worthy, but a recognizable scale nonetheless! I had yet to move on to actual songs though, just fiddling around with notes and the same scale to get used to it again. It was pleasantly therapeutic.

When my arms tired from holding my flute up for so long, I lowered the instrument into my lap with a sigh. Den whined with a flick of his tail and gave me a puppy-dog look. I scratched his head and he closed his eyes in appreciation.

"I think Ed's gonna have to wait a bit longer to hear my music," I told the canine, remembering Winry's words from earlier.

The peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by a loud _boom_ in the distance. As Den jumped up to bark at the noise I dropped my flute and scrambled to my feet to rush inside, scared out of my wits.

"Winry!" I screamed, nearly running into her. She must have heard the noise and came to investigate.

"What in the world was that?" she asked, looking outside.

I tugged on her sleeve and pointed, "It came from over there."

Both of us watched as another _boom_ sounded and bright light flashed from what could only be a small explosion.

"That's close to the train station," Winry murmured.

"I guess that means those boys have arrived. Always so troublesome…" Pinako commented.

Winry snapped her gaze to the elderly woman, "You really think so?"

Pinako shrugged her tiny shoulders, "Who else could it be?"

Winry and I locked eyes, hers slightly angered and mine wide with trepidation. She dashed over the porch and forwent the steps by hopping over them. She probably would have kept going if she hadn't noticed that I was glued to where I stood.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked me hurriedly.

I gulped. I'd be lying if I said I was keen on going towards the sounds of explosions. But if Ed and Al were there….

Swallowing down my fear, I nodded jerkily and followed after her. Rather than taking off in the direction of the station, Winry ran around to the side of the house.

"Winry, what are you…?" I trailed off as I saw her bring out something that looked like a home made motorized scooter. For some reason, it looked familiar.

"We'll get there faster on this. Besides, I don't think you could make it there in your condition."

That made me pout, despite knowing that it was the truth. If I had trouble running before then I would be downright pathetic now. I conceded and hopped on the back of the scooter behind Winry.

"Winry…you do know how to drive this thing, right?" I asked her nervously.

"It shouldn't be too hard. I _did_ make it myself you know," she said confidently.

Wait, did that mean she had never test driven it yet? _Oh God, we're gonna die_, I thought as I held on to Winry for dear life and closed my eyes.

"Here we go!" she shouted and we took off.

I had to bite back a scream. The next few minutes would be painfully seared into my memories. It was like some horrible roller coaster ride, one without any safety restraints.

_Just think about bunnies, think about bunnies, think about bunnies_, I told myself over and over. But no amount of distracting thoughts about bunnies would help. I felt every bump, every twist, and every turn. I swore up and down that next time I would take my chances with running.

"There it is!"

I risked opening my eyes to see what Winry was talking about. I saw the train station directly ahead, however, there was no train. Instead, the train was stopped farther down the tracks. I could see people running away from the burning structure, people I assumed were passengers from the train. I wondered if there had been some sort of engine malfunction and they had to stop the train before they entered the station.

"Hold on! I'm gonna take us closer!" Winry warned me and sped towards the train.

When we neared the fleeing people I shouted to her, "Do you see them?"

After a second Winry called back, "No! They might still be on the train though!"

"Of course they are," I rolled my eyes. They just I _had_ to be on the burning train.

We had passed all of the people and were encroaching upon the train when Winry lost control of the scooter. The front wheel spun and I suddenly found myself airborne. In the next second I was thumping across the ground, grunting in pain as my frail body rolled across rocks, sticks, and grass alike. When I finally stopped, I laid there trying to process what had just happened.

"Taylor!" I heard Winry's shout before I saw her hovering over me. "Are you okay?" she asked, helping me off the ground.

"Y-yeah, just n-no more scooter rides for me," I answered shakily.

She gave a small nervous chuckle, "I guess it needs more work, huh?" She looked over at the scooter lying sideways nearby, the machine giving out little puffs of smoke.

"Definitely," I agreed as I leaned heavily on her to give my legs time to stop wobbling. I scanned the area to see where we had landed and realized that we had made it to the train. The first car seemed to be okay but the third and second was smoking, their windows smashed to smithereens and parts still on fire. What the hell had happened?

"Look!" Winry gasped, pointing to the top of the train. I followed her line of gaze and for a moment couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. There were figures…dancing? No, that was stupid. They were _fighting_. Three of them were going at it on the roof of the train. Only when I saw blue sparks flash did I know who they were.

"It's them," I breathed, watching in a daze as both Ed and Al (yes, Al back in his body, I was surprised to find) combined their alchemy to shoot streams of metal courtesy of the train to the third person. My blurred memories snatched at the defining features of the man to solve the riddle of who he was.

"Who's that they're fighting?" Winry asked?

In a voice barely above a whisper, I answered her, "That's Scar."

Winry whipped her head around to stare at me, "Scar as in the serial killer? The one hunting down State Alchemists?"

"How'd you know?"

"Please, it's been all over the newspapers," Winry waved it away.

I frowned. Why would Scar be in the papers? Didn't he give up killing to go be with the Ishvalan tribe? Why was he _here_ of all places?

"They're gonna get themselves killed," Winry ground out, both in anger and fear. As Scar was knocked aside by another one of the boys' attacks, Winry shouted, "Ed! Al!"

"Winry?!" Ed shouted as he recognized the voice, catching a glimpse of us before Al was shouting at him to move. Scar rushed Ed, who was too distracted to react. Al leaped in front of Ed before Scar's kick could hit him, but that made Al receive the blow instead and he was knocked over the side of the train. He tumbled to the ground near us. Al had only just begun to get up when Scar landed in front of him and dragged him up to his feet by his neck. I could practically see what would happen next and knew it would end in Al's death.

Al's gaze flicked over to where Winry and I stood and his large gray eyes froze on me, widening with shock. I couldn't hear him but I could clearly see him mouth my name in awe.

"Hey! Let 'em go!" Winry screeched, throwing a wrench at Scar. The tool thunked off of the man's head, making him pause and turn to glare at us.

_Bad move, Winry_, I wanted to say but my mouth felt like I had been chewing on cotton. Fright coursed through me as Scar tossed Al aside, causing him to collide into the side of the train painfully, and he marched towards us.

I'm not sure why I did it, or even _how_. I had been frozen with fear to the point where I couldn't breathe, but somehow, I managed to do it.

Winry took a position in front of me.

Scar went to grab her.

I pushed Winry out of the way and clapped my hands.

Then the world around me exploded into a sea of red lightening, blinding me. My entire being was licked by agonizing flames.

And then the darkness came to consume me once again.

* * *

**So, I was gonna keep going but 1) it would have been to long and 2) I wouldn't be able to get it done on time. So yeah, this seemed like a good place to stop the chapter. **

**A huge thank you to Sense Marauder and desoldeben for this chapter. Originally, I was not going to go in this direction at all, nor did I think I was gonna include Scar in TBA: R. I was just gonna have Ed and Al come home and have a happy reunion with Taylor... but something about what Sense said got me thinking. That would be too bland to do, so I decided to change it up a lot and with a lot of planning with desoldeben I came up with this chapter and have a lot more in store for you guys.**

**Oh and for a little bit of reprieve from Reprieve's long updating schedule (hehe, see what I did there?) I thought I'd tell you guys that I plan to have double chappy updates for Thanksgiving and Christmas, seeing as I'll have two weeks off for both. That is to say, I _plan_ to. Stuff might come up so it's not set in stone. I'll try my best to though. ;)**

**And one last thought to leave you guys with. I had a dream the other night that I turned Mustang into a penguin... It was very amusing, to say the least.**


	5. Chapter 5

**LeFay: R.I.P. Taylor Breayn Riley.**

**Taylor: What are you doing?**

**LeFay: A wonderful girl, a loyal friend, and Ginja Ninja to all that were in need. She led such an aspiring life.**

**Taylor: Um, I'm right here.**

**LeFay: If only her addiction had not consumed her so! Alas, she met her end by a brownie overdose!**

**Taylor: I'M NOT DEAD! STOP IGNORING ME!**

**LeFay: How cruel fate can be!**

**Taylor: T_T That's it!**

**LeFay: Such an honorable person and- HEY! GIVE ME BACK MY PANTS!**

**Taylor: Too late! *runs away***

**LeFay: *hides behind couch* Um, while I go get my pants back please enjoy this new chapter. *scampers away***

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Déjà vu**

(-Ed-)

Five months.

Five months since that fateful night.

Five _long_ months since he had seen that face.

And yet, he recognized her immediately. There was no questioning it. It was _her_. She was standing right before his eyes like those months had never happened, like they were just some bad dream and he had finally woken up, like the color was bleeding back into his sight, like he could finally breathe again.

For an eternity, all he could do was stare at her in disbelief. The logical part of his mind told him that surely this was a hallucination. It had to have been, caused by so many restless nights, by so many times of pushing back the grief and guilt, by trying to move forward and failing to take a step. Her absence had left behind a gaping hole in his life, a hole that he hadn't realized was so large or so important until she was well and truly gone. So of course, this had to be a figment of his imagination.

But it wasn't. She was no figment. How she leaned against Winry told him how solid she was. The wind did not blow past her either. Instead it lifted her long red-brown locks, longer than he remembered but hers all the same. The sun did not shine through her. It shone on her, lighting her up like a beacon.

She was there.

She was…_alive_.

Edward's mind was so busy processing this remarkable fact that he forgot about the rest of the world from the moment he first laid eyes on her. He saw nothing else but her. He heard nothing other than his heart pulsing loudly in his ears. He felt nothing besides the rush of adrenaline and shock. All he could do was watch her in a blooming rapture.

For a moment, Winry blocked his vision of her. But she was quickly knocked aside. He now watched as the ginger girl brought her hands together, eliciting buried memories of all the times he had seen her do that before. Her palms connected and...

He snapped back into reality as the flash of bright red light exploded and an agonized scream filled the air.

"_TAYLOR!_" Ed roared, throwing caution to the wind and jumping head first into the danger. His body moved with a mind of its own as he leapt off the train, not even pausing for the impact his shoes made with the ground before sprinting forward. He was almost there when something suddenly grabbed him from behind. Angered at being delayed, Ed violently fought against the iron grip. _He had to get to her!_

"…you stop!" a voice slowly faded into his consciousness. It came from right behind him and sounded familiar. "Will you just stop and think for a moment?!"

Ed paused and looked over his shoulder, "Al?" So it had been his little brother who stopped him. But why? Why the hell was he stopping him?! Did he not see just _who _was in danger?! "Let me go!"

"You'll get hurt if you get any closer!" Alphonse warned him. His arms tightened around Ed to keep him in place and his feet dug into the ground, making tracks in the dirt as Ed tried to push forward. "Just stop and use your head."

Edward didn't want to heed his advice. He wanted to barrel right on. But Al had always been his voice of reason and he was so used to listening to him that he actually calmed down for a moment. As he came back to his senses, Ed _really_ took in the situation at hand.

A raging swarm of energy lit the area in an angry red. At the center stood Taylor's blurred form with tattoos burning bright, obviously causing her pain but she was no longer screaming. However, her face displayed terror as the uncontrollable energy struck around her, coming off in electric waves and powerful gusts. The alchemic wind must have been what threw Winry back because she laid yards away watching the spectacle, gaping. Scar, whom Ed had surprisingly forgotten about in the midst of the chaos, had not been swept off his feet yet. He was standing tall against the waves, his right arm outstretched and his own alchemy at work.

"He's trying to deflect the alchemy with his own," Ed said, amazed.

"He's gonna get himself killed," Al replied, watching with wide eyes.

The brothers continued to stare as Taylor's alchemy became too much for the Ishvalan. Bolts of red lightening crashed into him and shot him backwards to hit the train. Scar slumped to the ground in a heap, residual energy crackling around him. Ed cringed at the sight of his body covered in lacerations that wept blood. The man was still breathing but could barely move.

"_AAAAAHHH!_"

Their attention was forced from the fallen Scar by the blood curdling shriek. The alchemic energy surrounding Taylor amplified in pulses of dark purple and black, recalling to his mind the nightmare of when they tried to bring their mother back to life. However, Taylor was unconcerned by the alchemy running rampart around her. The girl's focus was entirely on the slithering black arms working around her figure, born from the eye splitting open beneath her feet.

"The gate's trying to open!" Ed exclaimed in astonishment.

"Why would she try to open the gate?" Al asked in utter confusion.

"I don't think it was intentional. But whatever it is we don't have time to figure it out. We have to get her out of there!"

Bracing himself, Ed knelt down and, clapping his hands, slammed them onto the ground. Blue light appeared underneath him, light that paled in comparison to the wild display of alchemy before him. He focused his energy and willed the earth to move at his command. And move it did. Dense earthen fists shot out of the ground towards Taylor's form, some being obliterated before they breached the outer swarm of energy but a few making it inside to grab onto her. The hands that reached her found trouble quickly though. The black hands from the opening gate latched onto them and began breaking them down. It was taking everything he had to combat both the raw alchemic energy and the inky hands.

"Al!" Edward grunted with clenched teeth. He couldn't do this alone.

Al nodded and kneeled by his brother's side. Clapping his hands, he put his own alchemy to work to save the girl they both had thought they'd forever lost. They'd be damned if they were going to lose her again so soon after getting her back.

Long coils of rope were transmuted, spiraling forward to enter through the breech that Ed had made. They twisted and swerved around both the electricity and hands to wrap around Taylor's abdomen. Once the ropes had tightened around her, Al had them jerk her out of the hands' grips and out of the energy itself. The black hands tried to follow after her but Ed beat them back with his own earthen fists while Al focused on Taylor. She flew through the air from the force of the pulling ropes and Al quickly used the ropes to slow down her fall to where she tumbled onto the ground in front of them unharmed.

Now out of the chaos, Taylor's tattoos were flickering from red to black as the crackling energy around her died down, just as the swarm of energy was being sucked into the half open eye. With nothing left to consume, the eye closed and disappeared into nothing along with its hungry hands.

Both boys slumped in relief, the new silence deafening in their ears. They were completely worn out and panting in exhaustion, but they put their own needs to the side in favor of the important girl in front of them.

"Is she…okay?" Al asked haltingly, obviously afraid at seeing Taylor pale and unconscious.

Ed dragged himself over to her with Al not far behind. He swallowed deeply and brushed his fingers along her neck. Closing his eyes, he sighed, "She's got a pulse. It's sporadic, but it's there."

"That's good. But…just _how_ is she here? What just happened?"

Edward opened his eyes at his brother's questions, "I have no idea." Staring down at her, Ed ran his fingers from Taylor's neck to her cheek. A jolt of shock coursed through him at the knowledge that she was _here_. He could _feel_ her heated skin beneath his fingertips. He never thought that he would see her again, touch her, know that she was alive. But here she was, against all odds.

"I can't believe…" Al began but trailed off, his voice full of awe.

Ed nodded, "I know."

"Hey!" a voice called and they looked up to see Winry running over to them. She slid onto her knees beside their little group and glanced over Taylor frantically, "Is she okay?"

"I think so. She just seems to have passed out," Ed answered her. His eyes roamed over Taylor's features, drinking them in one last time before confronting the blonde mechanic. "Winry…what the hell is going on? Why is Taylor here? _How_?" She obviously knew something about this, seeing as how unsurprised she was about Taylor's presence.

"Well…" Winry contemplated his questions, her brows furrowing. Finally she nodded slowly, "I'll tell you everything I know. But not right now."

His eyes narrowed angrily, "Winry-"

"Brother, she's right," Al cut him off. Ed turned to him to rage at him as well but was thwarted by his serious expression. "We need to get her to the house and make sure she's okay."

Ed wasn't a patient person. When he wanted to know something, he wanted to know it _right then_. But…this was Taylor. _Taylor!_ The girl he never thought he'd see again. The girl who risked her life for him. For her sake, he would have to wait a while. It was the least he could do for her, after everything she'd done for them.

"Alright," Ed conceded. Then he rounded on Winry, "But as soon as we get there I want answers!"

Rather than yell at him right back as was the norm, Winry nodded and pulled Taylor into a sitting position.

The quiet was broken by the train's engine roaring back to life. All three teens were baffled to see the locomotive start down the track.

"I thought everyone had gotten off the train," Al commented.

"They did, but someone got back on," Ed gestured to where Scar had once been. "I'll be damned if I let him get away again!"

"Wait!" Al cried, gripping Ed's shoulder and effectively stopping him from chasing down the train. "Don't you think we have more important things to worry about?"

His eyes went to Taylor, catching what he implied. Yes, the biggest thing on his mind was Taylor, but Scar was getting away! If he escaped there was no telling how long it would take to catch him again or how many more people he would kill in the meantime. He was torn between pursuing the serial killer and taking care of Taylor.

As if sensing his fears, Al told him, "He won't be able to do anything in the shape he's in. Besides, we can call the General and warn him about this. Surely it won't be too hard for them to find Scar if he's escaping with a train."

Ed sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time and let the matter drop, "Fine, we'll deal with him later. Let's just get to the house."

* * *

(-Ed-)

It was…odd. Yet, it was still so breathtakingly amazing. Edward just couldn't wrap his mind completely around all of this just yet.

The walk to the house was a silent one, no one knowing what to say. Winry led them the whole way. Ed hadn't caught her expression but the wringing of her hands told him how nervous she was. Al kept glancing over at Taylor every few seconds, as if needing to affirm that she was still there and hadn't disappeared. Ed hardly kept his eyes off of her. As he carried her easily in his arms, he couldn't find it in himself to tear his gaze away. He scanned over her again and again, memorizing the way she looked.

She had changed, he noticed. Taylor had always been pale but now all color had been drained away. More noticeably was how skinny she had become. She had been thin before, having a decent amount of meat on her bones. Now she felt like she weighed only bones. The dark green T-shirt and khaki pants she wore swamped her, making her look like a little kid playing dress up. Dark circles rested under her eyes, eyes that remained closed the entire time without so much as a twitch. He wished that she would open them to see if her eyes had changed any. He hoped they hadn't. They were always such a vibrant green. Overall, she looked to be a few steps away from death's door.

Ed's hold tightened on her, feeling disgusted with himself. This was his fault. He was the reason she was so unhealthy. He was the reason for her current suffering and he _hated_ it. Ed wasn't sure where she had been all this time but wherever she had been had not been kind to her. She wouldn't have had to be there in the first place if not for him.

Then a thought jolted through him, one that very nearly made him ill. What if wherever she had been, all that time, she had been waiting for him? What if she had been trapped and counting on him to save her while he was busy trying to move on? She could have been in pain, screaming for him, and he not have heard her.

A thousand apologies would never suffice.

Mind full of questions, Ed failed to realize they were at the Rockbell's home until he was walking through the front door. He barely registered Pinako's surprise, barely saw the objects around him as he was led to the guest bedroom. Before he knew it, there was the bed in front of him where he was supposed to lay Taylor down.

But he didn't want to let her go.

"She needs her rest," Winry told him softly as if sensing his internal conflict. While she gently encouraged him to set her down by moving his hands with hers, she explained, "She hasn't slept a wink since she got back. She must be exhausted." They lowered the frail girl onto the mattress, Winry tugging the blankets over her to keep her warm.

Having finally released Taylor, Ed turned to Winry with a raised brow, "When exactly did she get back?"

"The night before last."

"Then yesterday," Al spoke up, an imaginary light bulb clicking on over his head, "You called us because of Taylor, didn't you?"

Winry nodded and was about to say more on the subject when she glanced over at Taylor's sleeping form. "Let's go in living room so we don't disturb her. Granny? Can you watch her for awhile?"

"Of course," the older woman agreed, going to Taylor's bedside.

The rest of them filtered out of the room. Well, Ed and Al were going to but they both hesitated, not wanting to let Taylor out of their sight.

"Out with the lot of you. Do you want your answers or don't you?" Pinako shooed them.

"Come on, Brother," Al sighed, pulling Ed by the arm and leading him out of the room with a click of the door closing. They walked with heavy steps, Ed wondering what answers were in store for them and Al looking much like he was pondering the same thing.

"This feels like so much like…," Ed whispered to Al.

"Like when we first met," the younger boy agreed. Both of them saw the uncanny similarities between today and the first time they met Taylor. The burning trains… Taylor's unusual alchemy… It was like it was happening all over again.

Their conversation ceased as they entered the living room, replaced by subdued anticipation. Al seated himself across from Winry on the couch and Ed, feeling too hyped up to relax, leaned against the arm of a chair.

Folding his arms and leveling his gaze at his childhood friend, he demanded, "Alright Winry. Tell us everything."

Taking in a deep breath, she began, "Two days ago Den kept bugging me until I followed him to where you guys lived. To my surprise, in the middle of where the house once stood I found Taylor lying there unconscious."

"Our old place?" Ed asked, eyes widening at that fact.

"Shh, let her finish," Al admonished. Ed, though grumbling, complied.

"Yes," Winry answered him and went on, "I have no idea how she got there. She doesn't even remember how she got there or where she's been all this time, but wherever it was, it scarred her deeply."

Ed felt like he had been punched in the gut, her last words echoing in his mind. As he listened to Winry the feeling intensified.

"I was scared that she was already dead. She looked so… Anyway, I got her to the house and Granny and I wrapped her up in blankets because she was freezing cold. We got her to wake up but she was still out of it for awhile. We got her to talking and I was almost afraid that she had lost all of her memories because she didn't seem to know who we were. But she did! It just took her a few minutes to remember everything!" Winry quickly assured them after seeing they were about to interrupt her. "After she remembered, she became frantic, asking if 'it had worked' and where you guys were. She ran through the house and when I caught up to her she was screaming like something was about to kill her."

Al, brows furrowed, asked, "Screaming for…us?"

She shook her head, "Not right then. She was about to run outside but it was night…"

"And?" Ed prompted, not seeing her point.

Winry stared past them in the direction of the guest bedroom, moisture prickling at the corners of her big blue eyes, "I don't know what happened to her but for some reason she's terrified of the dark. She begged me over and over not to let it take her back, that she didn't want to go back in the dark. The next day I asked her what she meant by that and she said that it was dark where she was, like a black prison."

That's when Ed couldn't take sitting still any longer. With fisted hands, he paced back and forth agitatedly. He wanted to hit something. No, he wanted to hit _himself_. A black prison… She had been trapped there all this time…alone and afraid.

He felt lower than dirt right then.

"Brother." Ed felt a hand on his shoulder, Al having gotten up during his pacing. "It's o-"

"Don't say it's okay, Al! _None_ of this is okay!" Ed spat at him furiously, his pent up anger releasing in a stream of harsh words full of self-loathing. "Because of us she was trapped there for five months. _Five months!_ She looks practically dead now, and she can't even go outside at night cause she's traumatized. We _left_ her there in that place, Al. _How is that okay?!_"

Ed stood there glaring, huffing from the exertion of yelling. Al, ever the sensible one, kept his head and spoke calmly, "Because she's here now. And that's all that matters."

He felt so torn, like pieces of him were being pulled in different directions. Ed's head jerked around as his eyes flitted from place to place, unsure of what to make of anything. Finally, he settled upon slamming his fists into the top of the chair he had been leaning on, "_Damn it_!"

Al wisely backed off, giving him some space to breathe and regain control of himself. But he was so angry; at himself, at Truth, at everything! His fury rolled off of him in waves, making his whole body quiver.

Winry cleared her throat and asked carefully, "So, you guys had no idea she was back?"

Ed remained silent and let Al answer for them, "How could we?"

She sighed, "Well, there goes our best guess. Taylor and I thought it was a possibility that you guys brought her back, since we didn't know what else to think."

"No, we…we promised that we wouldn't try to bring her back."

Ed fisted the material of the chair, glaring daggers into the suede fabric and wondering how much pressure it would take to rip.

"She told me about that."

His destructive thoughts melted away as surprise and confusion smacked him senseless. Ed slowly lifted his head and stared at Winry, "She did?"

"Yeah."

"Everything?" Al asked nervously, shuffling where he stood.

"Yep."

"Oh…"

Winry crossed her arms and leveled her gaze at the boys, "I shouldn't have had to hear it from her. You guys should have told me in the first place."

"Tck, it was none of your business," Ed turned away from her.

"The hell it wasn't!" Winry shouted.

That pissed him off. He clenched his teeth together so hard they should have crumbled and yelled right back at her, "It had nothing to do with you, Winry! You weren't there! It was hard enough living with the burden of knowing she sacrificed herself for us! Do you think we wanted to talk about that with even you?! How I failed to keep her safe?! How every time I looked in the mirror I felt sick because I was here and she was gone?! That was our guilt to carry, _not yours_!"

She jumped up in a fury that matched his own, "When are you gonna get it through your thick skull?! You guys don't always have to do things alone! Granny and I have always been here for you; we're _family_. We love you guys. And besides…" Her shouting had dissipated as her anger made way for hurt. She looked to the ground, lemon bangs shading her eyes but Ed could see a couple of tears run down her cheeks. "…she's my friend too. I cared when she was gone. I missed her too."

Ed's rage died some. Damn, he hadn't meant to make Winry cry.

Al had been silent throughout the argument and, seeing that the worst was over, he spoke up, "Winry's right, Brother." Ed stared at him in slight disbelief. Al gazed at him right back, resolve mixed with regret in his expressive gray eyes. "Even though it didn't directly involve her, it hurt Winry too. She had the right to know what happened to her friend…what happened to us, her family."

Edward felt a little loss at Al's abrupt switch to Winry's side. He wanted to be angry at that, but found he couldn't dredge up a single flame of rage. He still wanted to disagree though. It was his and Al's pain to bear. They were the ones who were guilty. Winry had no part in that. But maybe…maybe they had a point. Maybe they could have told Winry a bit more instead of keeping her completely in the dark. Maybe they didn't have to hide how much pain they were feeling. However, they just weren't used to the idea of having more than each other. Ed and Al, Al and Ed. That's the way it had always been. But then, hadn't they always called Pinako their aunt? Hadn't they always thought of Winry like a sister? Weren't they, in their own way, a family? The only family he had left.

He ran a hand through his hair, a few strands coming out of his ponytail, and sighed, "…I'm sorry, Win. It's just been hard."

"I know," she nodded in understanding, wiping away the remaining streaks on her face. "I get that. But you don't have to be so hard on yourself, or feel so guilty. It was Taylor's decision to save you guys."

"But that decision cost her everything," Ed replied bitterly, the hatred towards himself coiling around him once again. "After all that's happened…" _Does she regret it?_

Chills descended up and down him as a terrified scream rang from up the stairs, sending his body ramrod straight.

"What was that?!" Winry was saying as Al gasped, "Taylor!"

Ed was in action before the sound had left the air. Taking the steps two at a time, he bolted to the guest bedroom in a flurry of red, black, and gold. He didn't give himself time to think about anything. All he needed to know was that Taylor was in trouble and that she needed him.

Throwing open the door, adrenaline rushing high, he scanned for signs of danger but only came up with two women. Taylor sat up in the bed, eyes impossibly wide as they darted around the space. But something was wrong, like she wasn't actually seeing what was in front of her. Pinako talked softly from the side of the bed in assuring whispers, hands hovering in the air in a non-threatening gesture. Ed didn't comprehend any of what she said as he strode purposefully to the distressed girl.

"Taylor," he said gently, hoping to soothe her. It physically _pained_ him to see her so scared. The first time he saw those green eyes again he had not wanted to see them dilated in fear. Little did he know that the fear in her would only escalate due to one innocent mistake.

He touched her hand with his cold automail fingers.

Taylor's reaction nearly made his heart burst out of his chest by how alarmed he was. Edward had never heard a sound so frightened, so horrified, so loud and piercing come out of a human being's mouth. His ears were ringing from her shrieks as Taylor jerked away from him like he had set her on fire. Blankets were strewn everywhere, the side table knocked over, and limbs swept through the air in her struggle to escape, forcing Ed to stumble back a step. She landed on the hardwood floor, not once stopping her eardrum shattering screams, and scurried back into a corner.

Ed stood frozen in utter confusion, not knowing exactly what was hurting Taylor, nor did he know how to remedy it. Yet, he understood that her state of hysteria was born from something _he_ had done. And now, here she was, cowering in the corner like death was advancing quickly upon her and screaming her throat raw in terror.

"What happened?!" Winry called loudly over the noise. She marched into the room with Al on her heels, both of them assessing the situation.

Swallowing, Ed found his voice, "I-I don't know! All I did was touch her."

Pinako stood close to the window, the closet of the four of them to Taylor's position. She did not advance on her, instead, giving her some space to calm down. She looked Ed over, her beady eyes landing on his right hand, "Touched her with his automail hand, he did. She didn't take to it too well, for some reason."

The screaming abruptly cut off, the only sounds left being ragged breathing mixed with heart wrenching whimpers. Taylor sat shaking like a leaf from behind her knees, eyes continuing to catch everything but stay on nothing at all. Ed wanted so badly to go to her. However, he wasn't certain how she would react. The metal touch of his right hand had sent her into a frenzy. Although, he tried to assure himself that it was that and not _him_ that she ran from.

"Taylor," Winry called soothingly, approaching carefully. She slowly slid to her knees before the smaller girl and still those green eyes did not focus from their erratic movements. "Taylor, it's okay. It's me, Winry. You're safe," Winry tried, reaching out to lay a hand on a trembling shoulder.

As contact was establish screams once again filled their ears, stabbing their sense with the sharpness of broken glass. Winry, startled, jumped back immediately. Taylor rubbed frantically at her shoulders, arms, neck, face, as if trying to rid herself of a horrible feeling. Tears began to leak down reddened cheeks.

"What's wrong with her?" Al asked desperately, close to crying himself.

"I don't know! She's never been this bad before," Winry answered.

"Too many shocks in one day," Pinako surmised. "If something isn't done soon she'll likely have a heart attack.

Giving up on the calm approach and listening to her grandmother's advice, Winry nodded, "Alright then." She stretched both hands to Taylor, seeking to pull the girl to her. Whatever Winry was trying to achieve, it backfired. Taylor shrieked and struggled against Winry's hold on her shoulders, kicking at Winry with wild abandon. Winry grunted as a wayward foot met forcibly with her stomach.

"Ed, Al, a little help?!" she called.

Al rushed over to the two and Ed found himself moving before he'd even fully processed Winry's words. Body moving automatically, he positioned himself on Winry's left, Al on her right.

"What are you trying to do?" Ed demanded, his arms lifting without thought, hands gripping Taylor's back and right arm while Al did the same from the other side.

"She's not really aware right now, like when I first found her. She came to from me talking to her. We just need to hold her still long enough to get through to her."

With Taylor jerking violently in between the three of them, Ed doubted how effective this method would be. He didn't have any brighter ideas though, and besides, Winry had been the one helping Taylor to recover since she'd gotten back. He'd just have to trust her on this.

Taylor writhed incessantly, surprisingly strong for how frail she appeared. All three teenagers had to hold her until she was practically squished between them. With the frightened girl held firmly between Ed and Al, Winry placed her hands on Taylor's cheeks and forced her to look at her.

"Taylor, calm down. It's just us, your friends. You're okay, we're here," Winry spoke to her, murmuring sweet assurances. For minutes they stayed that way, limbs locked. So intense were their unconventional embrace, Ed didn't notice Taylor's thrashing subside until she had become still. Her eyes ceased their movement, settling on Winry's face with increasing attention as the seconds passed. The only thing that remained was her quiet trembling.

"W-Win-ry?" Taylor asked in small gasps, voice cracking from strained vocal cords.

"Yeah. It's okay now," Winry tried to smile as best she could. Her hands brushed away long strands of hair from dampened cheeks.

Taylor swallowed, tried to speak, failed, swallowed again, and succeeded in rushed faint whispers, "It came back for me. It tried to take me back!" Then with a horrified epiphany, she whispered more strongly, "It's gonna take me back to the dark!"

"_No!_" Winry affirmed adamantly. "You're safe here. You're not going anywhere, I promise."

A teeth-chattering shudder rippled through her. More tears flowed over bloodshot eyes as she shook her head and muttered in a small voice, "I don't wanna go back there. Can't go back there. I can't. Please, I can't take it. It's too much. Too much…" She trailed off into pleading breaths of indecipherable words, head lowering in defeat to the nearest purchase: his shoulder. She clung to the three of them as much as they clung to her.

It didn't hit him until that moment. He hadn't realized the full extent of her trauma; could have never prepared for it. The darkness had taken away the light in the brightest person he'd ever known. And now Edward could see…

Taylor was broken.

Broken…because of him.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

Last time had been a subtle reawakening. _This_… This had been madness.

I remembered the hands, those damned black hands, slithering like snakes for my body. Their icy touch lingered even now. I _know_ I hadn't imagined that happening. But everything between then and now was unclear, allusive, and…_dark_. It blurred the real and the imagined, leaving my sight filled with shadows in every corner and area in between. I'd fought wildly from fear and desperation. I couldn't go back there. Ever… I'd rather not exist at all than to exist in that black prison.

Such was my fright, my struggle for freedom, that I couldn't comprehend who was really around me for the longest of time. And when I finally came back to warmth and saw Winry in front of me, holding me like an anchor to the physical world, I wept with relief, confusion, and remaining fear. I wasn't there. I had somehow escaped back here to Winry. But the darkness could always make a second attempt.

My heart thumped painfully in my chest in relation to my thoughts. It was just too much. Too much to handle. Too much to feel. Too, too much. It hurt. It hurt so much. I cried. I whimpered. My hand clutched at my chest, doing nothing to soothe the ache there.

"What? What is it?" Winry asked worriedly, bending below my lowered head to look me in the eyes.

Eyes narrowed in pain, I gasped, "Chest…hurts."

She swiftly grabbed my wrist, fingers seeking the pulse there. Alarmed at her findings, she barked out orders, "Ed, Al, get her on the bed! We need to get her blood pressure down."

My heart gave another pained beat at the news. They were here? Yes, I remember. They were on the train…fighting… They were here… My boys…

I felt myself being lifted and deposited onto a soft, cushiony surface. My chest pains were so terrible that I barely registered much else. One hand clutched around my collarbone, the other held tightly of one of the one's who carried me. My legs were raised, something soft being put under to elevate my feet. Winry's voice came to me, telling me to focus on slowing my breathing, which brought to my attention how fast and shallow it had become.

Someone was prying my fingers away from the person I gripped. A gloved hand gently laid my arm beside me and I followed with my eyes up the blue sleeve of the coat to find Al's face, pinched with some emotion. Another jolt pounded in my chest at seeing Al in his own body. Luminous gray orbs met mine but glanced over across the room. I followed his gaze, finding Ed standing at the doorway, just watching me for the longest time. I couldn't decipher anything about him, just that it was _him_ and that my last gift to them had been made real. It had worked. They were really here.

And as Ed turned and walked away without a backward glance, Al following after him, I realized another thing. From how they just left so easily, leaving me behind without a word… They really did hate me.

* * *

**Phew! Okay, I'm back and fully clothed! Though Taylor has seemed to have disappeared...stupid ninja... Anyway, this chapter was much longer than anticpated and not what I had originally planned but so much better! A thanks to desoldeben for helping me with Scar and whatnot. Also thanks to Taylor for helping me get the ending scenes perfect. And another thank you to the person who reminded me of Taylor's heart problem, which in all honesty I forget sometimes. For the life of me I cannot remember your name and have scoured over many pms to find you, but have come up empty. But you know who you are and I thank you!**

**Everyone's support throughout this story has been phenomenal (I'm too lazy to check if I spelled that right). I just wanted to thank you all, cause OMG! 230 reviews in only 4 chapters?! THAT'S FREAKING AWESOME!**

**If you're looking for more of your favorite ginger, visit Taylor's blog at www. taylorbreayn04. blogspot. com**

**Also, please check out The Feral Alchemist by trekki859. It's her first fanfic and feedback would be appreciated, but trust me, it's got a killer plot.**

**And last but not least, remember how I said I had a dream about Mustang turning into a penguin? Well, Taylor drew it! Visit my deviantart page to check it out. I go by "LeFay-Strent". Same name, just has a hyphen included.**

**Hm, I think that's everything...I'm so scatterbrained nowadays. Oh yeah! I wanted to ask you guys something. If you could have any phrase or words on a shirt, what would it be? I'm gonna go get some shirts made soon but I'm not sure what to get on them. I'm thinking about getting "I'm fluffy and I know it!" on one of them. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Heh, sorry this is a teensy bit late. I didn't get started on this chapter until Friday night and worked on it for most of the weekend; I was busy with the fall quater coming to a close and I was working on getting last assignments done for classes and signing up for next quarter. Good news though! I'm officially an English major now and I can't wait til next quarter cause I'm taking a psychology class! And now I have two full weeks to relax! Maybe I'll even be able to update one of my other stories I've neglected. Here's hoping! ^_^**

**Oh! And I wanted to tell everyone something! A reviewer mentioned something very interesting, but wasn't signed in and only left the name Ayami. They said: "When Winry gave Taylor her flute I immediately imagined her on the porch playing the flute with the Elrics coming up the hill on the dirt road and when they hear the music they start running toward the house in disbelief to find thair one and only Taylor." That is an amazing prediction because, even though that's not what happened, that is originally what I had planned. In fact, before I had decided to write a sequel that was how I was going to end TBA. But things changed while writing TBA and the sequel was born and, well you know the rest. I just thought I'd share this with you guys cause it surprised me. **

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**We're All Fools Sometimes (Part 1)**

(-Al-)

He was shaken, thoroughly so. Never had he been more frightened for someone. Watching Taylor in a frenzy of fear and pain had his heart twisting. He didn't know what was wrong, why she was so frightened, what was hurting her, or why his brother just walked out. Confusion and worry ailed him and he didn't know what to do. He wanted to stay here with his friend and comfort her, but he needed to know what was going through Edward's mind. Pinako and Winry were more than enough to handle Taylor and were of more help than he could be. He should leave it to them, give them some space, and see what was up with Ed.

Alphonse slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind him regretfully. Footsteps were traveling down the stairs and he followed after them with a quick pace.

"Brother," Al called after him. Ed showed no sign that he had heard him, shoulders stiff as he stomped towards the front door. Al flew down the remaining steps and caught his hand, intercepting his move for the doorknob. Ed froze, his body becoming even more tense if possible. "Where are you going?"

Edward was immobile, refusing to face Al as he answered curtly, "Out."

Frowning, he reminded him, "But Taylor's here. She's here and she needs us."

Ed's next words were intense, clipped, and barely concealing the profound emotion underneath, "She doesn't need us. Just look what I did to her then? She's like this because of us. We're hurting her. I don't want to hurt her anymore. She deserves better."

"But Brother-" Al tried to placate him but Ed wasn't having it. He wrenched his arm out of Al's grip and stormed outside before he could be stopped. Alphonse stood there, his mouth open but no more protests came as he stared out the open doorway. Edward's words repeated in his mind and his stomach churned.

He shook his head, "No…" But the seed of doubt had been planted. He didn't want to believe that they could only hurt her. He accepted the fact that Taylor's absence was because of them. He knew better than anybody. Al had been the one that had failed to stop her. So he accepted that whatever Taylor had been through was because of him. But did that mean they were still hurting her? Would they only be a painful reminder of what she'd been through? What did Taylor think of them? What was she thinking right now?

His eyes involuntarily sought the staircase. He could go up there, if only to check on her. He wanted to stay there for her though. He needed to make up somehow for what he'd done to her. The only thing that stopped him was the idea that keeping a distance would be the best way to go about it. Maybe Ed was right…

Thoughts in turmoil, Al forced himself to go into the kitchen instead and slumped into one of the wooden chairs at the table. He closed his eyes and let his head fall into his hands.

He waited. That was the safest action. So he simply waited.

Edward never returned. His body didn't move an inch until he heard someone finally coming down the stairs about an hour later. He sat up hesitantly, nervous of what would happen next.

Pinako's small form appeared at the doorway, her wrinkled face looking weary. Al hadn't seen her so drained since that night years ago when he carried his brother's mangled body here and Pinako and Winry had patched him up. Wordlessly, Al stood and filled the kettle with water to make some tea for her. No matter how upset he was, Alphonse always put others' needs before his own. Pinako watched him with her dark beady eyes, choosing not to ask where Edward had gone. Nodding to herself, she sat down at the table across from his vacated seat.

"We've stabilized her," Pinako's words cut through the silence.

He paused, shutting his eyes and letting out a relieved sigh. During that hour he had feared the worst, that Taylor's body wouldn't be strong enough to handle the strain. It would have been an even harder blow than last time, to lose her again after just having her returned to them. He gave himself a moment, breathing in and out deeply. Then he returned to his task. "What happened?" he asked as he lit the oven.

"She had a panic attack. Almost became too much for her heart. She told us that she has a heart condition. Did you know about this?"

He walked over to sink into his seat once again, brows furrowing at this new information. No. He never recalled Taylor mentioning anything about that. So he shook his head, "What kind of condition?"

The old woman leaned back in her chair, pulling out her pipe and lighting it. Taking a drag, she answered, "Her heart has had a small hole in it since she was born. It's not uncommon, and it's too small to be anything serious. But it's enough to cause her trouble, especially in her state. Her heart beats irregularly sometimes and causes her chest pains, even more so when she's doing physical labor."

"Oh, that's probably why she hates running so much," Al recalled all the times she'd had to run and complained multiple times how she loathed the action.

Pinako nodded, unsurprised, "I don't doubt it. But once she's fit again it shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience. She's just fragile at the moment."

'Fragile' was an understatement. Flashbacks of her screaming in terror came to him. Al fidgeted in his chair, fingering the material of his pants leg, "Is she okay?"

Blowing out a puff of smoke, she told him bluntly, "Physically, she'll be alright. Mentally, it will take some time. Winry's watching over her right now. Has been watching over her the past few days. I'd like to believe that it's helped her somewhat but she still has a ways to go. I'm just glad you boys are here now. You'll be of great comfort to her."

"I don't know about that," Al admitted quietly, head bowed. "Brother has a point…maybe we'll just hurt her more…"

Silence loomed for several moments. Then Pinako's steely voice told him, "Alphonse, I may be old but my memory is as sharp as ever. I remember clearly the last time I saw you all together and it was obvious how close you were. And I can still see how close that bond is today. Don't doubt it, don't doubt yourself, and don't doubt her."

Al's mouth opened, then closed again. He wasn't sure what to make of that. Before he could make sense of her words, the kettle whistled and Pinako got up to tend to it. He watched her for a few moments, perhaps waiting for her to say something, or maybe for himself to speak. But neither uttered another word. The thoughtful silence followed him as he stood from his perch and left the room, then the house.

Dusk had settled on the horizon in a beautiful mix of orange and pink hues. Al paid no attention to it, his mind sluggishly keeping up with his feet. He didn't allow himself to think, just let the minutes slip pass him as fast as the rolling green hills surrounding him. He followed the dirt path, shoes scuffing up dust and the sound lost to his ears.

It occurred to him that Edward might have planned to visit the same destination, yet he saw no blonde headed teenager within the graveyard or anyone for that matter. The calm cemetery was empty, save for the lines of headstones. Many of them had various assortments of bouquets lying in front of them, some of the flowers bright with life while others lay limp and wilted. He didn't need to sift through the names to find the one he searched for. He knew the way by heart.

"Hey Mom," Al greeted with a small closed lip smile, gazing down at the final resting place of his mother. Just like the other times he had visited, a sense of peace tinged with sorrow filled him. And just like other times, whenever something was bothering him, he gained solace from telling his mother his troubles as if she could hear him. "It's been awhile, I know. Not much has happened, except today… So much has happened today and I…"

Al breathed out and sat on the grass carefully. He had a lot on his mind and a lot to talk about. He might as well make himself comfortable.

"I guess I'm just confused…and worried. Maybe a little angry? It's just so much to take in and I don't know what to do. I wish you were here. You were always good at solving problems. You always had the best advice.

"…Taylor's back. I never thought it'd be possible, we don't even know how it happened, but she's here. She's _alive_. But…she's…something happened to her and she's not okay. I know I should be happy that she's back, and I am! It's just that, she's hurting, and Brother's mad at himself, and I don't know how to fix this. Brother said she doesn't need us… I think he's got it in his head that she'd be better off without us… Is it too selfish to think that she needs us? Cause I want to help her. But I want to _be there_ for her. I…I want to atone for…when I failed to save her… Brother told me it was just as much his fault, but he didn't see it. He wasn't there, but _I _was. _I_ could have stopped her…but I didn't."

The memory of her last moments had seared itself into his mind. He'd never be able to forget how hard he had begged but it was not enough. He'd never forget how she had suppressed tears because of what she was about to do. He'd never forget the white light that encompassed them all, how when his vision had adjusted he was seeing the world through his own human eyes. Those last moments haunted him every day, but he fought his hardest not to let the guilt show, to not be consumed by the grief. He had made a promise to Taylor: that he live his life happily. He tried his best, if not for her then for Ed. But the nagging accusations never strayed far. _She called you her brother and you couldn't even save her. _It's kind of hard to get over the death of a friend when looking in the mirror was like a slap in the face.

The only thing that let him keep moving forward, the only thing that kept him from wallowing in his guilt and grief, was what she said. _"I'm happy right now. I can give you life and that makes me happier than I've ever been."_ And when she had kissed the top of his helmet and told him that he was the best brother she'd ever had and that she loved him… It showed how much she cared, how much she wanted them to be happy. She proved that by sacrificing herself.

"She always wore her heart on her sleeve. She wasn't afraid to tell you how much she cared for you. She loved us enough to save us, even if it cost her everything. So…wouldn't that mean she wants to be with us? I know she's been through a lot, and I think that Ed feels that she hates us…but I just don't see it. I can't believe after everything we've been through together she doesn't still care. She just wanted to see us live and be happy. Now _she's_ the one who can. She may be healing right now but I can't believe that she doesn't want us there. I'm gonna try my best to be there for her. After everything she's done for us it's the least I could do…"

For several minutes he sat there, basking in his conclusion. Then he was startled out of his thoughts by a call, "Hey!"

Al snapped his head around to find Ed standing by the cemetery's entrance. He couldn't make out his brother's expression due to the shadows of night. When had that happened? Had he really been so wrapped up in his one-sided conversation that he hadn't noticed how dark it had gotten? Shrugging it off, Al stood and approached his brother.

They stared at one another until Ed averted his eyes with a frown and crossed his arms, "You weren't at the house when I got back…"

The words were a complaint but Al could hear the concern behind them. It was just the way Edward showed how he cared. He smiled and explained, "Sorry, I had a lot on my mind and wanted to talk to Mom." As he passed by Ed, Al placed a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you talk to her too? She'll listen to what you have to say. Take your time. I'll see you back at the house later."

Al didn't wait for a reply, taking the initiative and beginning to make his way back home. Without stopping, he glanced over his shoulder. Ed stood there with a contemplative expression, eyes focused up the hill where their mother's grave lay. Al faced forward. He didn't see it, nor did he hear him move from his spot, but he knew before he had strayed too far that his brother had listened to him and went to the grave.

When he arrived at the house dinner was made. Winry ate in her room where they had moved Taylor. Al stayed in the kitchen with Pinako. The house was quiet but so was his mind.

_Somehow, everything will be okay. _And for the first time in months, he truly believed it.

* * *

(-Ed-)

By the time he came back to the house, everyone was in bed and all the lights were off except the light in the kitchen. Pinako must have left it on for him. He trudged into the kitchen, finding a pot of stew on the stove left out for him. It smelled delicious but he thought the better of it. He didn't trust his stomach right now.

Ed put the stew away and turned off the light, heading up the stairs. When he heard hushed whispers coming from Winry's room he paused at the door. They were low but undeniably feminine, meaning it wasn't Al that Winry was talking to.

His hand hovered above the doorknob. He wanted to remove the barrier of the door between them. He wanted to see her. He wanted to hear her voice clearly, talk to her. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her, how he was more sorry than she could ever know. He wanted to hold her and keep her safe, fall asleep with the assurance that she was near, that she wasn't going anywhere, that she wouldn't disappear when he woke up from this dream. But this had nothing to do with what _he_ wanted. He had no right to be so selfish. Besides, she needed her rest.

Gritting his teeth, he shoved his hands in his pockets and fled to the bedroom he and Al shared. His brother was in his bed, already snoring softly without a care in the world. Ed envied him because he knew that he wouldn't get much in the way of sleep that night. And he didn't prove himself wrong either.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

I didn't dare fall asleep. I couldn't let my guard down like that. Not after what had happened. Not after such a close call. Just remembering those slithering hands curling around me made me shiver.

I had nearly passed out again earlier, but if there was one thing that'd never change about me it was my stubbornness. I had refused to close my eyes for more time than blinking required. After Pinako and Winry had calmed me down and gave me medicine, they tried to get me to rest and I did…just with my eyes open. Whatever medication they had given me had made me drowsy but I fought it with a strength I didn't know I had. I think Winry had intended for the medicine to help me fall asleep, but she couldn't comprehend why I was so against it. We had stayed in her room and talked about meaningless things until she had fallen asleep. Now I was left to my own devices until morning.

The day's events ran through my mind. It had been such a long day. First the fight at the train with Scar. Then my alchemy going haywire. And finally my freak out here at the house. It was enough to drive me crazy, if I wasn't insane already. I'd probably convinced everyone by now that I was. That was a horrible first impression to give Ed and Al and was not how I had planned our reunion to go.

My heart ached as I thought of them, the pain more emotional than physical. Yeah, I knew there wouldn't be confetti and streamers when they came home and realized I was alive, but I… I don't know. I just didn't expect them to seem so…distance. They hadn't even said anything to me. Well, not that I could remember. There was that time when I was screaming my lungs out. I wasn't exactly aware of anything at the moment. But they certainly hadn't stuck around. Nor did they come back. It shouldn't surprise or hurt me so much, though it did. God, it did and I had no energy left to restrain my tears. I cried silently, laying on Winry's bed with my back turned to her and feeling so lonely and weak.

Thanks to the lamp left on, I saw Den sneak up beside me from where he'd been snoozing on the floor. He whined and licked my face. Well, at least someone cared. I couldn't smile though. I just let my hands filter through his coarse hair as he sat beside me.

That night was longer than the others. It must have been because I knew the brothers were only a few room away down the hall. Thoughts of them plagued my mind and what would happen tomorrow. They'd talk to me then, right? They couldn't ignore me forever. But if they did, what would I do then? Probably just stay here in Winry's room. Maybe that'd be for the best anyway. If they really wanted to see me they could just come here. That way I'd know for sure that they wanted me here, wanted to see me, talk to me.

Nodding to myself, I decided I would do just that. With that settled, my mind wandered to a theory I hadn't voiced yet. Earlier today, when I had tried to perform alchemy, the darkness had come back for me. But I _knew_ that type of darkness, and not just because I'd spent five months in it. Those hands that had grabbed at me hungrily, they had come from the gate. The eye of the gate had tried to open beneath my feet. Did that mean the darkness that had trapped me had been from the gate? Had I been in the gate this whole time? It made sense to a certain extent. Some of the last things I remember clearly was my last chat with Truth and the gate opening to pull me in with old black hands. Everything went sort of blank after that.

Equivalent exchange. A body for a body. A soul for a soul. There should be nothing left of me. So why? Why did I still exist? If I really was trapped in the gate, why hadn't I been devoured entirely? Furthermore, how did I escape?

I tried to remember but all I hit was a black wall. The darkness had obscured my memories and I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. I thought about it for a long time but to no avail. There were no answers at the moment and I doubted I would ever get any.

My thoughts circled around endlessly for hours and hours. When the first signs of light peeped through the drawn curtain it was met with a relief and trepidation. The night was gone for now but even in the light bad things could still occur. I still feared what Ed and Al would do.

I reclaimed my perch by the window, brushing the curtain aside enough to see outside but not enough to shine the light anywhere near the bed. I didn't want to wake Winry up. She deserved to rest. So I sat alone by the window, basking in the morning glow. I had to shake my head a couple of times to keep the fog of exhaustion at bay. It wasn't the medication that was making me drowsy anymore. Excluding my little nap yesterday, I had been awake for days. I don't think I could have lasted for so long had I not been asleep for five months. That's what it felt like anyway. Some state between sleep and death.

A growl sounded…and it wasn't from Den either.

With what probably looked like a hilariously confused expression, I turned slowly to look over at the bed. Winry was sitting up, blonde hair disheveled from sleep and eyes narrowed at me dangerously. The glint of a wrench caught my eye, held firmly in one of her hands.

I gulped and asked shakily, "Yes…?"

"You," she pointed at me with her wrench, "had better stop with this insomniac nonsense. Your body needs sleep. And don't give me that crap that you're not tired. I can see from your face that you are."

My fingers twisted in a lock of my hair self-consciously and I looked away in shame. I was letting Winry down and that was the last thing I wanted to do. I owed her so much already.

"Taylor," Winry spoke more softly. Her hand rested on my shoulder and I flinched, looking up at her. She didn't comment on it but she kept her hand in place, "I know it's difficult for you, but a good night's rest will do you a lot of good in both body in mind. At least try to, okay?"

I bit my lip. It just wasn't possible. Not right now. But Winry was worried. If anything I should put her at ease. "Okay, I'll try," I told her, mustering up my most sincerest look. It wasn't a lie. I really would try. I just knew that it wouldn't work.

She smiled, "Great! Now let's go make some breakfast. I'm starved!"

Breakfast meant going to the kitchen. Going to the kitchen meant seeing Al and Ed. My stomach twisted in disagreement.

I plastered a fake grin on my face that probably looked more like a grimace, "Actually Winry, I'm gonna go take a shower. I'll meet you down there…?"

"Okay," she agreed, leaving the room and having complete faith in me that I would join her. I hated to disappoint her but I wasn't sure how to convey to her that I couldn't go down there.

"Uh…" I said to myself as I realized I was in the room by myself. Den had left with Winry, making me alone. I swallowed hard, muscles tightening as I told myself, _Don't panic. Winry's still in the house and there are other's here! You're not really alone. Just alone…in a room…alone._ I broke out into a cold sweat, my breath caught, and my ears rung with the silence.

"Nope, can't do it," I said breathlessly, a hysterical note in my voice. In the blink of an eye I grabbed a change of clothes (given to me courtesy of Winry) and dashed out of the room and across the hall. If I had been thinking rationally I would have checked first to make sure there wasn't anyone strolling down the halls, like on of the boys I was avoiding for example. Luckily, the hallway was empty and so was the bathroom.

I turned the shower on as soon as I could, the noise of the spraying water soothing me instantly. Throughout my shower I focused on the sound of the droplets of water hitting the bathtub and my body, ignoring everything else, especially the fact that I was still alone. It shouldn't bother me so much. For God's sake, I could be alone for fifteen minutes and take a shower without panicking! Or that's what I wanted anyway. I guess I was afraid that if someone wasn't watching, those hands would catch me and take me away again. It was more than that though. Five months I was alone. Many things that happened in those months were blurred to me but I remember the excruciating ache of loneliness. There was only the darkness to keep me company. And the silence. When the silence was loudest I could hear tiny whispers, little cruel laughs, my name seeping out from the blackness…

Shaking my head, I attempted to get a hold of myself. How could there be voices if it was silent? My brain wasn't making any sense. I needed to forget those memories and concentrate on the here and now. I wasn't there, and I'd fight tooth and nail to keep from going back. I'd fight dirty too, pull hair and scratch those voices' faces. Wait, a voice can't have a face. Then again, the voices had to come from somewhere. Maybe there were things in the darkness with me?

Now that was a scary thought.

Telling my mind to shut up, I quickly finished my shower, got dressed, and went to go back to Winry's room. This time I made sure to peek out the door. Nope. Nada. Not a single person. Just a dog. Wait, a dog? Oh, hi Den.

Den had been waiting patiently for me in the hall and followed me back into Winry's room. I had to admit, the dog's company was extremely welcome. I wouldn't have lasted long by myself in the room otherwise.

I sat on the bed, Den sprawled practically in my lap. Minutes ticked by and I spent the time giving Den the scratchies he so dearly loved, if his wagging tail was any indicator. It didn't take long for Winry to check on me.

Her head poked into the room, brows scrunched up in puzzlement, "Are you okay? I got worried when you didn't come down. Breakfast is ready."

"About that…" I twiddled my fingers together awkwardly, "Uh, I think I'll just stay up here."

She entered the room fully, closing the door behind her and placing her hands on her hips, "Why? And it can't be because you're not hungry."

I bit my lip. Man, that was becoming a bad habit. I needed to stop doing that. "Um, it's just…I don't…"

Winry had a powerful intuition and it didn't let her down now, "You're avoiding Al and Ed, aren't you?"

I cringed, "Not _avoiding_, per say. Just…staying out of the way." The last was said a bit sadly.

Her hands dropped from their position and she stared at me as if I'd said I didn't know what automail was. "Out of the way? Taylor, you're not in the way. What would make you think that?"

Not answering her question, I offered up another explanation, "I need a little more time to adjust is all…and I'm sure they need it to." I'm sure Winry would have persisted but I gave her my most pitiful look and begged, "Can't I just stay in here for a while? Please?"

Her eyes darted between me and Den, "Someone's been teaching other's their puppy-dog look."

As if he knew she was talking about him, Den barked, "_Woof_!"

Winry shook her head, "What am I going to do with you two? Okay, fine, you win. I'll bring you up some breakfast. But know now that I'm against this! Hiding yourself away isn't going to solve things. You'll need to come out of here sometime."

I gave half a smile and stated, "I went out of the room earlier."

She snorted, "Yeah, to the bathroom!" Still shaking her head to herself, she left the room. When the door closed back, I let out a big gust of air. I was grateful to have a little more time before the evitable. Little did I know the evitable would happen much sooner than I thought.

* * *

**Originally, I was going to keep going and put a lot more in this chapter but it was more than I bargained for. It would have been ridiculously long and I wouldn't have finished it in time so I decided to split it in half. This chapter, to me anyway, doesn't feel like a whole chapter but once you read the next part I think everyone will be satisfied. Speaking of the next part it should be posted next weekend. That means no waiting two weeks for the next chapter! Whoo!**

**At any rate I do like this chapter. I think it was Elementess that mentioned they'd like to see Al's view on regarding his loss for Taylor and once I thought about it, it really made sense to see his side of things. Taylor and Al became like siblings and Al probably feels even more guilty because he was there but couldn't stop her from sacrificing herself. So this chapter was a peek into how he's been dealing with everything.**

**Phew, now I'm worn out from all of this angst. Gah! I never meant to spend so much time in angst land! I just want to get on to the fluffy goodness and happy laughs and all that good jazz! But alas, it's necessary. But fear not my furry friends, the next chapter things will be looking up. So stay tuned!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ohmergersh! This chapter... ARG! Yeah, I know it's later than I promised but I've been distracted this whole past week. My little sisters came to stay with me for a week and I couldn't really concentrate on anything. But I had a good Thanksgiving! I hope everyone else did too and had lots of good food! Anyway, I started writing this chapter practically yesterday so I've been working furiously to get it done. There may be a mistake or two cause I rushed a little when I looked back over it. I think it came out good though. ^_^**

**I'm surprised by all the reviews concerning LeFay. You guys _do_ care! XD Haha! Everyone's wanting to know what happened to her so I put her in this chapter. I was originally going to wait until later on for her to show up but I thought I'd be nice. X3 So, by popular demand, here's some LeFay! (It's still so odd to refer to myself as a character...I finally know how Taylor feels)**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**We're All Fools Sometimes (Part 2)**

(-LeFay-)

"_Who lives in a pineapple under the sea_?!" LeFay sang as she twirled a pineapple around in her hands. No, this fruit was not for eating. Days ago she had found it and carved a face into it, proclaiming the pineapple to be her new friend and naming it "Suuka". Suuka had had a falling out with its last friend, quite literally. A raccoon perched in a tree had thrown the fruit at LeFay and the two had been friends ever since! The pineapple. Not the raccoon. The raccoon was evil.

It wasn't surprising that LeFay had went crazy…er. She had been stranded on an island for days now, running from oversized arachnids and scavenging for food when she found some. The girl was no wilderness expert but she was doing okay for herself…oh who was she kidding? If she didn't get some real food soon she was gonna die! If the mutated spider didn't get her first, that is.

When the initial shock had worn off after waking up in a strange place that first day, LeFay had slowly pieced together her fuzzy memory. Here were the facts she had uncovered: she had performed alchemy, she had found Taylor, she had met Truth and the gate had spazzed out, her and Taylor had traveled through the other gate, but they got separated, and now LeFay was all alone on her island of Hell. That had to be it; she was dead and in Hell…or on Yock Island. She had watched both series of the FMA anime many times and her obsessed brain kicked in shortly after the shock of the previous events had worn off. LeFay knew the gate that she and Taylor passed through was not their own. It had to have been the one to Amestris. And since she knew of only one island… She put two and two together and figured she was on Yock Island. But why on a freaking island?! Why did the gate have to spit her out there?! And where had it dropped Taylor? Taylor could be in Xing for all she knew!

LeFay sighed as she trudged around the surrounding plant life. She needed to get off of the godforsaken island soon. Eventually, she would have to suck it up and swim to the town across the lake. Despite her fear of giant spiders, LeFay had stayed on the island because what may lay underneath the water's surface scared her more. There could be sharks in there! Or lake monsters! The distance across the lake may be far but she could swim it, she was just hoping that she wouldn't have to and praying someone would drift close enough to the island so she could call out to them. She tried building a boat of her own with alchemy. The gate had crammed the knowledge into her brain, a fact that had made her giddy when she remembered. But her alchemy attempt…didn't go so well. There was now a good sized crater in one portion of the island and LeFay vowed never, _ever_ to try it again. She nearly killed herself! An alchemist, she was not. But at least the spiders kept their distance after that display.

The fluffy girl reached the tree line, intending to go look out at the lake to gain enough courage to swim to civilization but knowing that she wouldn't. LeFay wasn't really a take charge kind of gal. She was more of the sit-and-wait type. Amy had just called her lazy.

"Arg! Stupid, freaking roots!" LeFay grumbled as she dropped Suuka, glaring down at the roots that had caught on her foot and made her stumble. She blamed her lack of vision. The cracked glasses that were stashed in her jeans pocket were sorely missed.

"Greetings," a dry tone spoke from right behind her.

"Ack!" was her polite reply as she stumbled over another tree root in surprise and landed roughly on her backside. LeFay cursed under her breath, rubbing gingerly at her back and almost overlooking the hand hovering above her. The startled girl snapped her head up so fast it cracked. She winced but continued to stare up at the hand's owner. A man stood in front of her and to her irritation his lips twitched in amusement. The man, anywhere from twenty to thirty years old, looked…out of place. It wasn't so much as his looks that gave LeFay this feeling. He looked pretty normal, if not attractive. His hair was short and black, the ends sticking up in a ruffled way. His features were smooth and held an inkling of playfulness. His eyes were a dark, yet noticeable gray, the same color as his casual button down shirt. The rest of his clothes were casual as well but black. The stranger was not very tall, was slim and lanky but held himself gracefully. Again, he looked normal enough, but something just seemed _off_ about him.

"Yes, the ground is lovely too," the stranger spoke in an alto voice and it was then that LeFay realized that he had been expecting her to grab his hand so that he could help her up. It was too late now. The stranger already plopped himself down on the grass a yard away from her, sacrificing the cleanliness of his clothes. LeFay tensed, _What the hell is going on? Who is this guy? Where did he come from? If he came here in a boat why didn't I see him approach? I was facing the shore, and he came from behind me…was he following me? STALKER! Wait, who stalks people on an island? Oh, he's talking…_

"I am Thane. How are you?" he asked in a conversationally as if he was trying to break the ice.

"…LeFay," she responded wrong intentionally to throw him off balance. Her brain was working at top speed to figure out who this Thane guy was. Definitely not an FMA character. She would have remembered him. Then who was he and why was he here? Or was she just being paranoid and reading too much into things?

He raised an eyebrow and responded in the same dry tone, "Not really answering my question but I guess it's a start."

"Where are you?"

He gave her a blank look and answered, "In a lush green forest, full of lovely wildlife and all sorts of muck around us."

LeFay could have slapped herself. She was notorious for getting her words wrong and had asked the wrong question. "No! I mean…how did you…" she trailed off, wanting to ask Thane how he got here but not knowing how to. What if he was just some random citizen of Dublith who frequented the island? Her question would sound strange. But what if he had gotten here by some other means? She didn't know why she considered that but there was just something about the guy. He didn't exactly scream danger but his presence made her distinctly uncomfortable. She could tell there was something weird about the guy. His eyes, which had been sparkling in amusement, were now watching her thoughtfully as if he were calculating something or what he would say next.

Thane's eyes flickered to the side, distracted by something for a moment. Then he stood, brushing the dirt off his pants, "Now I must take my leave."

LeFay instantly rose. Whether she got bad vibes from the guy or not, he was her only chance to get off the stupid island. No way was she going to let it slip by. "Wait! Don't just leave me here!"

"Oh no, do not worry. You are not left behind." He gestured past her and she turned to see what he meant. On the lake and approaching the shore swiftly was a boat occupied by someone. She couldn't make out anything but a blur but it was undeniably a boat with one person occupying it.

LeFay turned back to Thane and opened her mouth to ask him something. She stopped, doing a double take around the area. "What?! Where'd he go?!" Her brown eyes darted everywhere, searching for Thane but couldn't find him. She should have been able to see his retreating figure. This part of the forest was sparse. No movement caught her attention though. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. Still nothing.

"It can't be…" LeFay whispered in awe. "He's a…_ghost_!" There was no other possible explanation. No one could disappear like that. And it made sense! No wonder she was so creeped out by the dude!

"Eeeeeh…" LeFay cringed, not liking the island even more than she did ten minutes ago. She scrambled for the shoreline, not bothering to look back as she escaped the clutches of the evil forest. Her fear was so great that she didn't think twice about leaving Suuka behind. Pineapple be damned! There were ghosts in there!

LeFay made it to the shoreline as the boat began to drift onto land. She soon forgot about ghosts or anything of the sort as she saw the female newcomer. There was no denying who the woman in the boat was. From her white outfit to the black dreadlocks, it was clear that this woman was Izumi Curtis. Although this was enough to shock LeFay, this was not what made her feel as if an eighteen wheeler had plowed into her. No, it was Izumi's startling resemblance to…

"Dear God…" LeFay breathed silently. Regardless of the uncanny resemblance, she had to remember that this woman was not _her_. It kinda made sense in a way, in spite of how downright strange it was, and was even kinda funny. But still, she needed to push those thoughts aside and worry about getting off of the island first and foremost. So without further adieu, LeFay greeted Izumi as the woman climbed out of the boat.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

Shortly after she left, Winry returned with breakfast for two. She gave me a withering glare that spoke of how much she disagreed with my 'hiding' but she let it go and we ate contentedly. I ate all of my eggs but there was still some toast and bacon left over that I sacrificed for the greater good of Den's stomach. That made him a happy camper at least. When we were done Winry took our plates, prepared to take them downstairs and asked if I needed her to come back up here. Everything in me wanted to say yes, but I relented to my rational sense. Winry had things to do, a business to run. Besides, I needed to learn how to reacquaint myself with independence. So, shoving my fear aside, I told her that I'd be fine and try to catch up on some sleep. That appeased her and she left happily…and so did Den…. And now I was…alone…in silence…

"Okay!" I said with false cheer, climbing out of the bed to go find my flute. It's not like I was really going to go to sleep. Might as well make some noise. Plus, it was a great distraction.

I swiped the instrument from Winry's desk and went back to the bed. Sitting cross legged on top of the comforter, I focused all of my thoughts on the task at hand. I had successfully completed the b flat scale yesterday. Now it was on to the f sharp scale! Or was that one flat too? Nah, it was sharp…I think…

Twenty minutes later and I was ready to bang my head on a wall. I finally tossed the flute on top of the bed spread and settled for giving it one of my famous death glares. "I'll get you my pretty…" I quoted a movie I'd seen before but couldn't place which one. Scales, music, movies, stuff like that were the most foggy of my memories. Things would have been so much easier if I had sheets of music to help me out. Surely looking at them would refresh my memory. I sighed, _Beggars can't be choosers. I'm lucky to have my flute at all__-_

The door opened a crack and it was then that I noticed that someone had been knocking on it. I sat up to see who my visitor was. I expected Pinako, since Winry wouldn't have knocked. What I got was the younger Elric brother.

I blanched, breakfast threatening to make a reappearance.

"Can I come in?" he asked almost shyly, a worried smile on his face.

My heart rate picked up several notches. Why was Alphonse here? Did he really want to see me? Talk to me? Hope and fear shot through my veins like electricity. Oh, but now he was standing there staring at me, waiting for me to respond. My mouth didn't want to work at the moment. I could only nod numbly in answer of his question.

He was quick to break into a warm smile and come in. The sight of him made my eyes prickle and a burst of love to wash over me. Here was the boy I had come to think of as a brother, the little boy with a big heart that couldn't even be hidden in the giant suit of armor he had been trapped in. He wasn't trapped anymore though. No, Alphonse was very much in his own body. This was the same Al I had know and yet the Al I should have known all along. He was tall, his figure wiry and held in a hesitant manner. His large gray eyes were bright and so expressive that he could never hide any emotion. Sandy bangs swept over his eyes, parted to one side and the rest cut short. His nose was small and his grin wide, giving him the most adorable look. His skin was much lighter than Ed's, not having spent as many years in the sun. Al wore a long sleeved, light blue shirt and medium brown slacks. It was so odd, yet so amazing to see him back in his own body, to hear his voice coming from his own lips.

I was so mesmerized that I failed to realize when Al became frantic. He'd been saying something to me and I caught the last couple of sentences.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you upset!"

Now I was confused. "You didn't…" but the odd feeling on my face stopped me, like something was dripping down to my chin. I touched gingerly at my cheek and my fingertips came away wet. I had started crying and hadn't even known it.

His arms were waving frantically about as he stammered, "D-do you want me to leave? Cause I-"

"Al," I stopped him. He quieted and I continued, "I'm not crying cause I'm upset. I'm crying because I'm happy."

He perked up a bit but bewilderment marred his features, "Happy?"

Nodding furiously, I wiped away the pesky tears to no avail. My emotions were a turbulent force, battering against my fragile heart and overflowing down my cheeks. Weak against them, I could only let it all out. I had spent so long in the dark that it had desensitized me. When I woke, my body wasn't used to it and the full brunt of emotion, feeling, everything, hit me and has kept hitting me until even now. I couldn't help but to feel things so strongly. And this feeling, emotions of love, relief, and so much more, was powerful and sharp. Sad, afraid, happy, it didn't seem to matter. I couldn't contain any of it. So there I was, nearly sobbing in front of a poor, confused Al, and unable to hide any of it.

My rushed words were part gasps, barely discernable, "Just seeing you, knowing for certain that you're alive and finally in your own body, it makes me more happy than I could tell you. After everything, here you are smiling, breathing, feeling. You and Ed, you're alive. You're _alive_! I couldn't be sure if it would work, but it did! And for that, I'm _so happy_! And I…I…" I broke off, sniffling and holding my mouth to cut off the choked sounds. I was a mess with my waterworks and face red, shoulders and hands shaking in little tremors. And Al was staring at me, mouth hung open and eyes wide. I must be scaring him with my mortifying display of tears. And yet, I couldn't get a hold of myself.

Al stood there for a couple of seconds until he seemed to come to some decision. He crossed the room with quick steps and, briefly faltering, he sat carefully at the foot of the bed. I got the feeling that he didn't want to upset me more by encroaching on my personal space. Still, he had come as close as he dared and it was closer than I ever expected.

"I'm sorry," I sniffled, trying my best to control myself. It made little difference. I wiped at my face and explained, "It's just…overwhelming. My body's just not used to so much right now. "

"It's alright," he replied understandingly. Yes, he out of everyone would best comprehend my situation. After all, he had been through similar circumstances.

I nodded, "That's right. When you got your body back… How was it? I mean, were you okay? Did you remember everything?" It had occurred to me that Al's body was no less than fifteen-years-old. For a moment when I had performed my transmutation to give him back his body, I wondered if he would be this way or the amnesiac little boy. He was the older version but I couldn't be sure that his memories were sound.

He was taken aback by my sudden bout of concern and the smallest tint of pink lit his cheeks, "Things were okay as they could be. My memories were fine but my body had suffered during its time in the gate. It could have been worse. Brother and I think that he had a connection with my body and was providing it with nutrients these past few years."

A thought skittered across my mind. Something about what he said… But I was too frazzled at the moment and couldn't think straight. I decided to let it go, whatever it was, and think on it later. For now, I nodded my head in agreement. "So…how have you been?"

He furrowed his brows, "I should be the one asking you that."

I shrugged and looked away, "I…well, I…" It was hard putting it into words. I had given Winry a sketchy description of how I had been, both for when I was in the darkness and for these past few days. They weren't exactly pretty and I didn't want to make Al feel guilty. He was the one who had tried to stop me from sacrificing myself. He probably felt a great deal of pain over that.

"You asked me first so I'll go first," Al said gently, saving me from my battle for words. I exhaled in gratitude and let him begin. "It was difficult in the beginning. After being without my real body for so long, every little feeling was enormous. It was bewildering and glorious at the same time. My body was so weak, so skinny, but I stayed in the hospital for about a month until I had regained enough strength."

"And after that?" I asked, my head cocked to the side. A flare of delight welled inside me when he described how it was like to have his body back. But that feeling dimmed when his voice took on a tinge of sorrow and regret.

"We came back here, Brother and I. In those days, I focused on getting healthy. And shortly after that Brother decided to go back to the military. I went with him of course but…things were different."

"With the military?" I ventured a guess.

He shook his head fervently, "Oh no! I mean, yes that's different but that's not what I meant. The military has change. Ever since Grumman became the Fuhrer the country hasn't been at war. There are still some conflicts with Drachma but things have really turned around!"

In the back of my mind I noted the fact that Grumman had become Fuhrer but that was also something to ponder later. "Then…what did you mean by 'things were different'?"

"Oh, it's just that…things haven't been the same since you…left."

I know he wanted to say died but he couldn't bring himself to do it. And we couldn't be sure if I actually died. Both of us knew that I shouldn't even exist right now. So what exactly happened to me? Knowing my luck, I'd never find out the truth.

He met my eyes and I could see such grief in them that it made my breath halt, "You were gone and it was hard to move on. A part of me kept expecting you to walk into the room and it'd be like old times." He smiled bitterly there, but kept going. "But I tried. I put everything into making a new life for myself and being happy, just like I promised you I'd do. But it was hard because I missed you and Brother was sad and it was just so…_hard_," he repeated for the third time, averting his gaze as his eyes began to shine with excess water.

Softly, oh so softly, I asked, "Al? Did you…did you really miss me that much?"

"Of course I did! You're practically my sister!" he said with such emotion. "But I know it must have been so much harder for you. I can't imagine what you must have went through. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. And I understand that I might be an uncomfortable reminder of what happened but I want to be here for you! And…and I know you're still healing but can I just hug you right now? You don't have to but I've never really felt your touch because I was in the armor before and I just need to know that you're actually here."

Another bout of tears overcame me but this time there was no pain or fear or guilt. I felt pure joy. I clutched his hand in mine and said in nearly a whisper, "I missed you too, Al. God, I missed you so much!"

And then we were locked in each others' embrace, holding onto one another like we were afraid the other would disappear. Both of us were crying but neither cared. Alphonse smelled of honeysuckle and vanilla, so sweet and so _real_. I buried my face in his shoulder, comforted in knowing that he was not only here but that he _wanted_ me here. A piece of my shattered soul was restored in that moment, and I don't think I was the only one who received healing. Al needed this as much as I did.

I smiled through my tears, "I should have known. You're the kindest person in the entire world, both this one and the one I came from. You could never hate anyone. I know Ed does but I should of known that you couldn't, no matter what I did."

I felt as Al's whole body became rigid. Very slowly, he pulled away gently so he could see my face. His eyes were a little red from crying but that's not what struck me as odd. His entire face screamed disbelief, "You…thought that we…hated you?"

I used the sleeve of my long sleeved shirt to wipe at my face, feeling self-conscious under his intense stare, "I get it, why you guys would be. But even so it…it hurt. You guys have more than enough reason to hate me, and I know that Ed does, but it makes me so relieved knowing that you don't, Al." I tried to smile but it was too strained to be considered reassuring.

Al just continued to gape at me, almost looking as if he had only heard half of what I said. Some of my words had struck him the wrong way. But what did I say? What did I do now? Had I just screwed everything up again?

His face contorted in such rage that I froze in shock. Al hardly ever got angry, and I had never seen him _this_ mad before. And now he was looking at me with such fury in his boyish features. But as he jumped off of the bed and stomped towards the door I realized that it wasn't _me_ that he was angry at.

Al swung the door open and bellowed, "_EDWARD!_" He stormed out of the room, the door swaying back to bump against the wall. I sat on the bed petrified as I listened to Al's loud footsteps leading down the hall and stairs. I heard Al shout his brother's name again and then the sounds of Ed's complaints reached my ears as he shouted at Al to let go of him and asked what had gotten into him. More footsteps pounded up the stairs. Dread knotted my stomach as they approached Winry's room. When I saw the first glimpse of them I yearned desperately to crawl under the bed and hide. But my body was just as against me as it had been these past few days. My limbs were locked and all I could do was sit there as I waited for the imminent explosion.

Al drug Edward in by his ear, a sight I would have found humorous had I not been so terrified. For the first time I was able to really see what Ed looked like and it shouldn't have surprised me how he had hardly changed but it did. Golden eyes, golden hair tied in a ponytail, sharp jaw and nose, teeth barred in both frustration and pain, tan skin, two flesh limbs and two automail ones, same penchant for black clothes… The only things different were his shirt, which he had swapped for a button down black, long sleeved shirt, and he appeared to have grown, both in height and shoulders. He still wore the same old leather pants, something I found strangely amusing but couldn't find the will to laugh at.

Al stopped halfway across the room, finally letting Edward go. Ed rubbed at his abused ear and began to growl something at his brother but Al shouted at him, one finger pointing towards where I sat in stunned silence, "Tell her!"

Ed froze. For a moment he looked as surprised as I was. His gaze strayed over to where I sat and I saw the tiniest flinch. He quickly looked back to his brother and asked, "Tell her what? I don't-"

"_She thought we hated her!_" Al spat out, enraged eyes tearing once again. One hand in a tight ball, the other jerking to point at me again, he commanded, "She thinks you hate her right now! So tell her! Tell her the truth!"

I don't think I'd ever seen Ed more appalled. He seemed as baffled as Al had when I had first told him. He turned to me. I didn't know what I looked like at the moment, though I was probably a mess. Nevertheless his wide eyes were glued to my form as if there was nothing else in the room, hell, nothing else in the _world_ that was more important than what I thought when he asked, "Do you really think that?"

His powerful stare was too much. I had to look away. I lowered my head, staring down at my hands where they were gripping the sheets in a death grip. "…Y-yes…I…I get why. You have every right to. I…"

"Every right to?" Ed emphasized each word incredulously. In my peripheral vision I caught the movement of his ponytail as he shook his head furiously, "How could I? After everything you did…" He cut himself off, shuffling his feet and probably looking in some other direction. His voice lowered, "And if anyone has the right to hate, it's you."

I rose up slightly, wondering what he meant, "What are you…?" I shook my own head rapidly, "No…you're _wrong_. What I did…what I did…"

"What you did? You saved us!"

"_I killed you!_" my voice roughly screeched. My outburst reverberate against the walls, causing silence throughout the room. I found myself staring at Edward, wondering when I had chosen to look up but unable to look away anymore. His eyes, so much like golden sunsets in their beauty, were wide and dilated. My words forced him back a step, like he hadn't realized the reason for why he should hate me. But why would that be? How could he have not have thought of it before? Surely he felt some loathing for the person who had killed him. Al stood on the sidelines, not daring to say anything. He too wore a similar expression. I just could not fathom what was going through their minds.

My fingers dug into the sheets with such ferocity that my knuckles turned stark white. I didn't loosen them. I needed something to hold on to or else I might slip away. "I _killed _you," I repeated, needing him to understand the severity of this. "It doesn't matter that I wasn't myself at the time. It was _my_ hands that killed you. I killed you and there was no chance for Al to get his body back. I ruined your lives! God, I hate myself for what I did!"

"Don't you dare!" he growled, shoulders moving up and down with labored breathing. The fervent intensity that was rolling off of him was too much for me and I looked down again, but I listened and hung onto every word. "You didn't ruin our lives. You _saved_ us! Al wouldn't have his own body right now if it wasn't for you! I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't sacrificed yourself. You gave up _everything_ for us! Do you think I care that it was your hands that killed me? That was all that bitch Dante's fault, and don't you think for a second that it was yours!"

My breaths barely came at all and I still couldn't move. As I stared at my hands the color drained back into them as they slowly released the wrinkled blanket. My vision took on a fuzzy edge and I couldn't tell if that was from lightheadedness or the tears. Probably both were to blame.

Footsteps approached and I saw Ed kneel beside the bed. I knew it was him from the automail hand. He kept that hand to himself, choosing to place his flesh hand on the edge of the mattress. He was close enough to touch but he maintained the space between us. I yearned desperately for him to breach the distance, to take me in his arms. I wanted so badly to feel him close. I had missed him terribly.

"Taylor, look at me," he ordered, the previous anger gone and replaced by a soothing firmness. I did as he told me. How could I not obey him? I faced him, a jolt of surprise and worry coursing through me as I saw his eyes. They were filled to the brim with tears. Despite this, Ed clenched his jaw and contained himself in a calm fashion. I saw through it though. I knew him. I could look past it and see all of the emotions raging inside of him. It made me want to reach out even more.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told you all of those months ago… I couldn't hate you even if I tried."

I blinked in shock, the memory flashing before my eyes. It was when I had finally revealed to Ed about the origin of my healing abilities and why my alchemy was so powerful. I had told him that I possessed the Philosopher's Stone inside of me. I had begged him not to hate me and he had pushed back my worries with a warm embrace and the same whispered words.

His hand inched closer to one of my limp ones, yet the distance remained like a physical barrier. Those eyes never left mine once. "All I ever wanted was for you to be here, to see you, know that you're okay. In all the time you were gone I couldn't stop from thinking how wrong it was that you weren't here... I don't know how it happened, but you're here now, and that's all that matters." His lips quirked up at that last bit. The hand resting beside mine turned over, palm facing upwards in a welcoming gesture, "If you feel differently I can go right now. If not, then I'll be here with you."

He was leaving the choice up to me.

And really, there wasn't any other answer.

I obliterated the sliver of space between us and touched his fingers with mine. At my touch, Edward visibly relaxed by exhaling and grabbing onto my hand. The heat of his skin sent pleasant tingles up my arm and I shivered, returning his grip with a squeeze of my fingers. I closed my eyes and performed an action that was rare to me these days: I smiled.

And just like _that _my restraint was gone. Startling him, I lurched forward and latched my arms around his neck. My fingers dug into the fabric at his shoulders while I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. Breathing his scent in deeply, I let out a shaky sigh. I felt a shudder pass through Ed's body as he responded to my touch, an automail hand resting on the small of my back and a flesh one caressing my hair.

"I missed you," I whispered, crying again. My eyes were sore from so much crying. It seemed to be all I'd done since I got back. But as I melted into Edward's embrace I couldn't care less. He was here, he didn't hate me, and he was so _warm_. "I missed you guys so much. It was… I was s-so lonely."

"Shh, you're here now," he shushed me softly as his arms tightened around me. With his cheek resting on the crown of my head and lips at my ear he told me, "I've got you. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

I curled in closer, not wanting an inch of space to come between us. A giant weight, the weight that had been crushing me for days, had at last crumbled to dust. However, I felt more vulnerable than ever, and at the same time I felt safe. It was hard to explain. It was like any walls that I had left were gone but it didn't matter because I knew the arms around me would protect me from danger and darkness alike. In these arms I felt nearly whole again. But something was missing…

Peeking over Ed's shoulder, I saw Al standing where he had been before. All traces of anger had evaporated and had been replaced with a happy grin. His face looked so joyous that even the tears running down it could only be of happiness.

Oh yeah, that's what was missing.

I smiled back at him and beckoned him over, his expression turning even brighter. He scurried over to us and I soon had an armful of Elrics.

For once, the darkness was completely forgotten. It could not touch me here.

* * *

(-Winry-)

A smile graced her face as she watched the heartwarming sight. They had heard the arguing from downstairs, Winry and her grandmother. Both of them had come up to see what was going on, Winry sporting a wrench in one hand in case either Elric was causing Taylor stress. They were taken aback by the passionate scene, tears, and hugging fest but were pleased nonetheless.

As Winry shut the door quietly to give them some privacy, Pinako gave an exasperated sigh, "It's about time those three got their act together, avoiding each other like fools."

"I don't know," the blonde mechanic said, gazing at the door while still wearing her smile. "I guess we're all fools sometimes."

* * *

**So...how was it? I think the reunion with Al went perfectly. That was easy for me. The hard part was when Ed entered the picture. My brain just went blank. But now I'm just glad the big angsty stuff is over! Sure, things aren't going to go completely smoothly but our trio has finally gotten 'their act together', as Pinako said. So did things go as expected? **

**...Is it bad that I like torturing myself? I laughed so much while writing LeFay's part. Truth be told, if I really was trapped on an island I'd make a tribe of coconuts or something like that...and befriend a pineapple. So, anyone want to take a crack at who Izumi resembles? I bet you a hundred pineapples that you'll never guess it!**

**Thanks goes to desoldeben for letting me use Thane (his OC) and for helping me out with his part. Between me, him, and a couple of others, there has been some major plotting going down for Reprieve and the story after it. Big things await us, my furry friends. So I hope you all stick with the TBA trilogy. ^_^**


	8. Chapter 8

**Um...I'm sorry?**

**Taylor: Try again. What's your excuse for updating so late?**

**LeFay: Uh...I got stuck in a gate for five months? :D**

**Taylor: ...Not funny. T_T**

**Okay, truth time. Winter quarter started a few weeks ago and it's taken up a lot of my time. The math especially. Ugh...I _loathe_ math. I'm an English major! Why do I need math classes?! Or foreign language classes, for that matter?! *sigh* At least my psychology and sociology classes are pretty cool. So far I've learned that milk raises serotonin levels which makes you feel happy. Proof that it is good for you!**

**Ed: LIES! SHE TELLS LIES!**

**..._Anyway_... lame excuse, I know, and maybe a lot of it was due to trouble getting my muse on. At any rate, here it is, and it's pretty dang long so I hope that makes up for the wait. So now lets get our fluff on!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**A Happy Affair**

(-Taylor-)

After the tears came smiles and contentment. All three of us were happy to just sit there and bask in each other's company, Ed and Al wearing these nearly goofy, broad grins while my lips settled into a pleased upward curve. We must have sat together like that for an hour or more because Winry called that _lunch _was ready. The sound of her muffled yell made me snap my eyes open, confusing me for a moment. I hadn't been aware that I had shut my eyes in the first place. I must have been dozing there for awhile. Interestingly, the idea didn't scare me as much as it had last night. Still wary, but not afraid. I'd be lying if I said it had nothing to do with the boys.

With droopy eyelids, I let the guys pull me to my feet. Both of them scanned my face over with concern. Al asked, "You okay?"

I waved away their worries, "Yeah, I'm just tired. I was kinda comfy where I was; I think I dozed off."

Al's eyes crinkled softly and Ed hummed a response. Neither of them had let go of my hands, nor did I think they planned to. They tugged me forward and I went without protest. Until we reached the hall, that is. In the semi darkened hallway my steps halted and I received immediate responses from Ed and Al. They looked at me questioningly as my eyes drifted from one to the other. I couldn't help but marvel at it all. The fact that I was alive; that the brothers were okay; that we were all here together again. It was a beautiful thing, one that I did not take lightly. This was my chance at a new life, a new life with _them_. Despite the many hardships, the pain, the loss, the death, the heartache, we were here, alive and together. I wouldn't lose this opportunity. I would embrace it and never let it go. I would never let _them_ go again. Now that we were together again I would do whatever it took to keep it this way.

_I promise_, I vowed to them internally. I didn't say the words aloud, instead, whispering fondly, "My boys." Those words might as well have been my silent oath for all the passion they held in them. I was rewarded with a pair of affectionate smiles that warmed me to the core. They squeezed my hands before Ed took one of my arms in his. Al followed his lead and wrapped my other one around his arm. Arm in arm, the three of us made our way down to the kitchen. Albeit, we were clumsy and had a couple of close calls on the stairs but they were laughing and the sound was downright musical to my ears. When we entered the kitchen we were met with stares from both Rockbell women.

The three of us stopped, saying in unison, "What?"

Winry smiled from her place near the counter where she'd been dividing pork chops into separate plates. Pinako stood near the table, narrowing her eyes at us before she shook her head and scoffed, "Young people." Her voice held a great amount of amusement.

Lunch was served and it was a happy affair. As soon as I sat down the boys sidled up on either side of me, twin grins of delight. Call me crazy, but I don't think it was the promise of food that made them so cheery. The guys were talking a mile-a-minute, jumping from one subject to the next and making my head spin. When they began to chatter at the same time Winry had had enough, sending a green bean flying from her fork to Ed's face.

"Whaaat?" Ed drawled in annoyance, plucking the green bean from his face and tossing it into his mouth.

Pinako answered for her granddaughter, "Taylor would probably keep up with the conversation if you two weren't talking over each other."

The brothers glanced to each, then to me. Al's cheeks flushed and Ed scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Taylor," Alphonse apologized.

"Yeah, my bad," Ed agreed. Then he frowned, arming his fork with a green bean of his own and launching it at Winry. She screeched and Ed grinned, "Equivalent exchange."

"Equivalent exchange? I'll show you equivalent exchange!" Winry growled, arming her fork yet again with a poor, unfortunate bean. She flicked it at him, hitting him in the shoulder. Ed prepared himself again and shot another at her, the bean landing on her cheek. Al and I looked at each other and sweat dropped. Really, I was surprised that Pinako wasn't doing anything about it. She sat there, calmly ignoring them while she cut into her pork chop. Mechanic and alchemist continued to rage war on one another with their arsenal of green beans.

Over halfway done with my meal, I was startled by something landing on the bridge of my nose. The room quieted as I removed the green bean from my face and stared at it blankly. Everyone was watching me like they were preparing for…what? An explosion? Mental breakdown? Fiery rage? They were ready for anything in between, except for how I really reacted.

I laughed. Their faces were priceless and the whole thing was just too funny. The first laugh was just a short, surprised chuckle. I blinked and paused at the sound. It had been so long since I had laughed. The feeling was new, yet familiar. It brought such a light, fuzzy feeling that I had to repeat the action. Soon I was in a fit of giggles and the others joined me shortly after, unable to resist.

We eventually settled down enough to finish our meal, albeit there were a few stray beans on the table and floor. Ed and Al resumed their conversation, more subdued this time. They informed me about the going-ons of Amestris these past months with a few comments thrown in from Winry and Pinako. I asked about how Grumman became Fuhrer and why not Mustang. Ed snorted and muttered something that suspiciously sounded like an insult about Mustang. Al explained that Mustang had to go through an extensive investigation in regards to him killing Bradley. After that night, the whole military went into chaos but was quickly salvaged by Grumman's swift actions. He elected for the full scale investigation, not only on whether Mustang was guilty, but to look into some of the more questionable soldiers heading the government, Bradley being one of them. Grumman put a stop to the corruption, had all charges of treason against Mustang and his men dropped, and nearly turned the whole military upside down. By the time Amestris was making peace treaties with Aerugo and forming alliances with Creta and Xing, Mustang's place as a Brigadier General was secure and Grumman was already Fuhrer.

"Now Mustang's just waiting for the old man to retire," Ed explained, leaning back on the couch. He gave it another moment's thought before adding, "Or die. Which ever comes first. The bastard doesn't give up on his goals, I'll give him that."

By now we were done with lunch, our plates piled in the sink, Winry and Pinako off to work on their automail orders, and Al, Ed, and I sitting comfortably in the living room.

Al chuckled at his brother's words, "That's if he can win the position from General Armstrong. I don't know about you but I don't think she'll back down that easily."

I whipped my head around to stare at Alphonse, my face full of awe, "When you say Armstrong…do you mean _Olivier _Armstrong?!"

He nodded, "Yes. That's right, you said once about how you wanted to meet her."

Ed snorted, "Don't know why. The woman is absolutely bloodthirsty."

I grinned widely, "So you've met her? When?!"

A dark cloud of gloom rained above him, "I don't wanna talk about it."

"…That bad?"

"It wasn't that ba-" Al tried at first but then gave in, "Okay, she was terrifying. It was back when Brother first went back to work as a State Alchemist. We were in the General's office…"

"When _she_ came," Ed cut in with a hiss.

"She'd been focused on Mustang initially, although I wouldn't call it a _civil_ conversation they were having. But then Brother just had to open his mouth."

"Hey!"

I started giggling, "And let me guess, the next thing you two did was cower in a corner while Armstrong unleashed her wrath."

"More or less," Al agreed while Edward scowled.

My amusement was so great I was holding my stomach and giggling up a storm. That had to been the most hilarious mental image ever!

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Ed mumbled. The small smile curving his lips up betrayed his words. It was easy to see that he was glad I was enjoying myself.

My laughter broke off abruptly and I sat up straight, looking back and forth between the boys, "Did you say something earlier about Xing?"

Ed's brows creased as he affirmed, "Yeah. Amestris and Xing recently made their alliance official. Now they're working on trading routes and such. Why do you ask?"

I pursed my lips, a contemplative expression in my features, "You wouldn't have met anyone from there by any chance?"

Edward snorted in disdain, "We had to meet more Xingese people than I ever cared to. Mustang just _had _to go suggest to the Fuhrer that I would make a _lovely_ ambassador for Amestris."

I gasped, "He didn't?!" What, was Mustang stupid? Ed had to be the last person capable of such a job. He'd more likely start a war with Xing than help form an alliance!

"Actually, it was a mistake," Al admitted. I gave him a questioning look and he continued, "It started out as a joke and somehow King Grumman saw it as a good idea."

"'The Hero of the People! Who better to send to create a bond of trust between the nations?'" Ed mimicked what I assumed to be Grumman. Too bad his 'old guy' impression was horrible, if not funny. He shook his head, "_Anyone _would have been better! Do I look like the ambassador type?"

"It couldn't have gone that bad if Xing is now an ally," I pointed out.

"And all the credit goes to Al really. If he wasn't there I would have murdered that mooch of a prince a long time ago."

I laughed, "Well, Al is more of a people person than…DID YOU SAY PRINCE?!" As soon as his words had fully processed through my mind I had pounced on Ed.

He looked at me like I was one nugget short of a happy meal, "What, do you know him or something?"

"You know Ling?" Al asked, just as surprised.

I sat back, staring dumbfounded at the two, "Wow…just wow…" Back when I was traveling with the Elrics I had always wondered if the gang from Xing would show up. When they never did I assumed they either wouldn't come here to Amestris or simply didn't exist. A part of me was excited to know that, not only did they exist, but Ed and Al had met them. I mean, they mentioned Ling so the others had to be real too! "And you met his bodyguards too, right?"

"Yes, and they were a pain in the ass," Ed groaned. Then a sadistic grin shone as he peered at Al mischievously, "Lan Fan really had it in for Al's girlfriend too. I nearly got caught in the crossfire."

Al blushed crimson, "Brother! Mei is not my girlfriend! She's just a friend."

"Tell that to her," he snickered.

"Mei too?" I asked cheerfully.

Ed turned back to me, more serious this time, "All joking aside, how is it that you know them? Is it more stuff from your world?"

"Yeah…" I agreed, becoming sidetracked. _My_ world… It seemed almost like a fantasy, the place I'd known as home. It'd been, what, over seven months since I'd last been there? My memories seemed like a dream, vague and just out of reach. A sinking feeling worked its way into the pit of my stomach as the same sensation washed over me, the one I had experienced when I talked to Winry about why I was scared. I'd asked her, what if I had lost a piece of myself to the darkness? Well, wasn't that true? My memories had already suffered. Despite them being mostly there, they were darkened (bad pun, I know). Again, I felt that deep sense of _wrongness_. Something, about me and this whole situation, was wrong. I felt like I was on shaky ground that would soon collapse under me.

A frigid, hard hand brushed over my fingers. My vision flashed black for a second and my heart leapt in my throat as I jumped. Gasping, I lurched to my right to get away from the darkness reaching out for me. Warmth on my shoulder and coming from my back brought me back to reality. I was pressing back into Al, my eyes darting around to see Ed's shocked expression. His automail hand was raised as if to touch me.

_No_, I thought. _Not to touch me. It _did _touch me. Not the darkness. Just Ed._

I sighed shakily, hearing Al for the first time asking me what was wrong. My gaze wouldn't leave Ed's. Gold eyes seared into mine, filled with a pained guilt. Edward swallowed, jaw clenching with the action, and pulled the hand into his lap as he slid as far as the couch would let him.

He averted his eyes, "I'm sorry." He seemed to be saying it for so much more than just now.

My breathing and heart rate slowing down to a more normal pace, I shook my head, "No, it's not your fault. You just startled me is all. I was spacing out and…I-I thought that…that…" I shook my head faster now, "No, it's silly."

"What is it? You can tell us, Taylor," Al said gently, his hand squeezing my shoulder.

I took comfort from it and drew strength from him. It was unavoidable that we would have this talk. We couldn't _not_ discuss it. They were here, they were listening, and it had come up so I might as well get it over with. But I wasn't going to have this conversation with Ed looking like someone had killed his puppy.

I reached over, going slow enough to let him draw back. It was kind of funny actually. _Me_ being the one to try not to startle someone else. He didn't react in any way, leaving me to go as far as I wanted. I grasped his flesh hand, bringing it back to me and holding it in my lap. Use to I wouldn't have a problem holding his automail one. But I was scared of it because…

"It was cold," I revealed in a whisper. "Those five months I was gone… it almost feels like I was sleeping. I don't really remember much but there are things I can remember _feeling_. I remember the darkness, and worst I could…I could _feel_ it. It was like it was grabbing me, holding me, crawling all over me. I was trapped in it." I shuddered, recalling how exactly it'd felt. "It was…cold. It was like being trapped in ice and those hands were even colder." I peeked up at them, finding them listening with rapt attention. Mixtures of emotion radiated from them and I glanced back down quickly. There was no way I'd be able to finish this if I saw them looking at me like _that_. To see them hurting for me…it made my eyes prickle with moisture. "Sometimes I feel like I'm back there. If it's too dark in a room or I feel cold…I'm there again."

Ed's hand squeezed mine, his voice a low rumble, "That must have been why you freaked out when I touched you yesterday."

That was new. I hadn't known Ed had touched me with his automail hand yesterday, or that it had made my panicking worse. But it made sense. "Yep…that'd do it."

A thoughtful silence lingered. I wondered how they were taking it, now that they knew more of my experience and why I was so…fragile. They still hadn't said anything, nor had I looked up at either of them when Al rested his hand on one of mine. I grasped onto both of them, soaking in the heat coming off their skin. Before I knew it, I was telling them the rest of it. I told them about the loneliness, the whispers I might have heard or might have hallucinated, the fear, how lost I was to where I was drowning in the black sea. I went so far as to tell them about the deep sense of wrongness. I even asked questions we all must have been thinking. How was I alive? Where had I been? And how did I come back?

"You exchanged your body for mine, your soul for Ed's. By all rights, you shouldn't exist," Al agreed, his tone hushed. Funny, the grave atmosphere had us all talking in whispers. I'm not sure why I found that humorous, but it made me want to laugh. And cry. It made me want to cry too… And possibly hide in a corner. I suppressed the manic urges, massaging my temples and tuning into what Alphonse was saying. "Then again, my body shouldn't have existed and yet, Brother was able to retrieve it."

"Your body may have been emaciated but it was hanging on. I think it has something to do with your connection to Ed and…" I grew quiet as my thoughts flicked in a certain direction. There was something I was missing, a thought that had brushed against my mind while talking with Al earlier this morning. It was gone just as quickly as it had come, except now it tingled under the surface, waiting to be realized.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked. "And don't say it's nothing. You've got that look on your face."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Look…?" I shook my head, pushing that subject aside. I couldn't get sidetracked now. My brain was trying to tell me something! "It's just something is bugging me about…something…"

Ed snorted, "You don't even know what's bugging you?"

I shrugged, "I dunno. I keep thinking about how Al's body was in the gate somewhere, and it was being kept alive by you, Ed. You were basically sustaining him… But it wasn't enough to keep Al's body fully healthy. You guys saw that when Al got his body back. I think… I think that had it been a few years later, there would have been nothing left… Kinda like the gate was decomposing you…" I mumbled as a gross afterthought. Then I sat straight up as it hit me, "That's it!"

"What's it?" they asked at the same time.

I glanced back and forth between them and told them in a severe, awed, voice, "I was being _decomposed_!"

The boys paused for a moment, gave each other a look, and then Ed said, "Uh…So let me get this straight, you think that whatever happened to you was similar to the deterioration of Al's body?"

"More or less," I confirmed with a bunch of nods. I was excited because I finally felt like I was getting answers to some of my questions.

"But Al's body was lost in the gate. You were…"

"Lost in the gate too! Don't you see?!" I jumped to my feet, wobbling slightly but far too eager to reveal my conclusions to let that slow me down. "Look at me. What do you see?"

"A raving girl who's too scrawny for her own good?" Ed guessed.

"Exactly!" I grinned. Then I frowned and quickly corrected, "Not the raving part. I'm _scrawny_. I lost quite a bit of weight and I'm pretty weak now, I'll admit. It's not that bad but the differences are noticeable. Something-no, some_one_ was keeping me alive."

Al connected the dots, "Like Brother was keeping my body alive."

"Yes! You were connected with Ed because he was the one who pulled your soul back, or because he was a part of the transmutation when you lost yourself in the first place. Maybe both. Anyway, the point is that Ed was connected to you because of that… What was the last thing I did?"

Ed's eye lit up with a dawning light, "You exchanged yourself for us. That means that you established a connection between us…"

"And we've been keeping you alive all this time," Al finished for him.

"Can't say you never did anything for me," I grinned. I was ridiculously glad that we had solved that mystery. A little proud too, if I do say so myself.

"That answers that then," Al gave a small chuckle.

"But it still doesn't answer the biggest question," Ed said, maintaining his solemn expression. "Who, or what, pulled you out of the gate?"

* * *

(-LeFay-)

LeFay let rip a nasty sneeze. Izumi raised an eyebrow and asked her if she was okay and the girl waved away her concern, "Oh you know, someone's probably just talking about me somewhere." Izumi accepted that and went back to chopping some bell pepper at the counter. LeFay stared for a moment and then went back to her work rinsing the potatoes in the sink.

No matter how long she spent time around Izumi Curtis it would never stop being creepy.

Back on the island, it had not taken LeFay long to convince Izumi that she needed help. At first, she'd planned to take things calmly and rationally… Then she opened her mouth and began rambling out the whole story in a not-so-understandable order of events. Izumi quickly tired of her babbling and forced her to stop in a not-so-gentle way. It made LeFay shiver to remember the look on Izumi's face. The eyes man. It was the eyes that looked so freaking similar to _her_. One thing was for sure though, they both could scare the crap out of her and were a bit loony.

LeFay shivered. She needed to stop comparing them with each other. They were different people. Although, they acted pretty much the same. A little bi-polar; a lot of fierceness; intelligent… Again, creepy.

Suffice it to say, LeFay's first meeting with an FMA character wasn't as fan girl-dream-come-true as she would have thought. It could have been the severity of the situation…or Izumi's slipper hitting her face… In the end, LeFay was a bundle of anxiousness, needing more than a little bit of help. Seeing as she was lost in a different world after finding and losing her best friend, she was having a horrible week. And let's not even mention the being stranded on the island full of ravenous, oversized spiders.

Following LeFay's initial freak out, Izumi learned the gist of the matter: LeFay was friends with Taylor, had come from the other side, and needed help finding Taylor. Of course, Izumi tested LeFay to confirm she was who she said she was and not something like a homunculus in disguise. You could never be too careful, she supposed. LeFay stated that Izumi and Sig met over a bear carcass. That did the job and Izumi took her being there in stride. And here she stood now, in the kitchen of the Curtis' house helping prepare dinner. LeFay had thought the shower she had taken was glorious. Practically smelling the soon-to-be-cooked roast, her stomach told her dinner would be even better. It's funny how spending a few days on an island can make you appreciate the little things in life you take for granted.

Like now, LeFay often spaced out, thoughts going a mile-a-minute and leaving little focus leftover for other things…things like watching her footing. Bowl of potatoes in hand and turning around, LeFay slipped on the edge of the rug. She squeaked in surprise, her face on a one-way trip to the hard, unforgiving floor. Rather than crash, a strong arm halted her fall and another caught the bowl she had let go of. The arm steadied her and, as the other hand gave her back the bowl, she looked up to see the large figure of Sig Curtis.

LeFay beamed at him, "Gracias! Oh, and my face thanks you too." Normally, you'd think someone as big and rough looking as Sig would intimidate you. Not LeFay. She always saw Sig as a big teddy bear.

Sig gave a small smile and patted her head, "Don't mention it." He carried on with what he had been doing, rummaging around the kitchen until he uncovered a set of knives and left the room to go butcher some meat or whatever butchers do. For a moment, LeFay was reminded of Barry the Chopper. Boy was she glad that Sig and Izumi held saner work ethics.

"Tell me something."

LeFay snapped out of her thoughts to find Izumi watching the chopping motions she performed with her knife, her mind on anything but dinner if the look in her black eyes was anything to go by. The woman's tone told LeFay that this probably wouldn't be a pleasant conversation. She gulped, "Alright."

Knife unwavering, Izumi asked, "How did you manage to extract Taylor from the gate of Truth?"

LeFay had already explained to the older woman about Miss April's part in her being here; how she'd used the array Miss A had kept all this time along with her blood to perform alchemy and open the gate. She had given the clinical explanation about how she found Taylor in there and pulled her through to the other side. However, it was vague and lacked many details.

She cleared her throat, preparing herself for the long haul. For once, LeFay was utterly serious. "I'm not really sure about that. One minute I was traveling in the gate, and the next I had found her in the middle of those black creatures, the gate babies, lost souls, whatever you want to call them. They had her completely surrounded and, well this will sound weird but, they had this creepy look about them, like they wanted to _eat_ her or something. She was glowing like, hell, like a freaking star or something. I could hardly look at her it was so bright. It was like she was fighting against the darkness, though I have no idea what she was doing. She might not have even known. Taylor was…well, let's just say she was sleeping like the dead. I pulled her out of there and that's when things got ugly…

"Those black creatures, they went ballistic. They must have been some kind of pissed cause they came after us with a vengeance. Taylor's body started flaring like a crazed disco ball on crack and everything got out of control. But we somehow made it to that white…place."

"You saw the Truth?" Izumi asked gravely, her hands having stilled soon into LeFay's recollection.

Lips a thin, white line, LeFay nodded, "Yep. Saw Truth, had all that information crammed into my brain on the trip over here, the whole shebang. Didn't do me a lot of good. I can't make heads or tails out of most of it."

Her eyes scanned her up and down, looking for something and coming up empty, "And what did you pay?"

The fluffy otaku scratched her head, "That's the thing, I _didn't_."

Izumi's eyes widened marginally, grip tightening on the hilt of the knife, "That's impossible."

"That's what it said," LeFay let out a humorless chuckle. "I think, no, I _know_ that Truth was surprised to see me there with Taylor. And more than that, it was _scared_! Izumi…what I did, I'm not sure it was a completely good thing." She leaned back against the counter, staring down at the floor and rubbing her neck, "The gate began to crack, and those _things_ were hammering at the doors like no tomorrow. Sparks were coming off the doors and Truth was yelling at me like I had triggered a bomb and we were about to explode. I was terrified, so I did the only thing I could think of. I took Taylor and I ran to the other gate, the one that led here to this world. Lights were flashing, and Truth was _screaming_. I opened the doors and we fell through. We got lost somewhere on the way and when I woke up I was on the island. But why, out of all places would I be dropped off on the island?"

"I'm more concerned about Truth's reaction," Izumi admitted, her face looking a little more pale than usual.

"Izumi? You okay? You're not gonna start spoutin' out blood and keel over, are you?"

The raven haired woman gave a ghost of a smile and glanced out the window, mind miles away, "No. However, this information you've told me is disconcerting."

"That's an understatement," LeFay blew out a breath. "By what Truth was going on about, what I did, it shouldn't have been possible. But it happened, I did it, and now…now, I don't know. Taylor's here somewhere because of what I did, but something is wrong with the gates also because of what I did. I did this, so I should find a way to fix it. But my first priority is to find Taylor. If I don't find her and make sure she's safe then all of this was for nothing."

Izumi seemed, well, not exactly shocked, more like pleasantly pleased. The alchemist actually gave a smile, "There's more to you than I first believed."

LeFay grinned and scratched the back of her head, "Heh, wait five minutes. You'll see I'm not the brightest Crayola in the pack." The woman looked at her oddly and she shook her head, "Sorry, I forget my references won't work here in this world. Anyway, I'm usually a dingbat like Taylor calls me, but I do have my moments I suppose."

Izumi gave a wistful smile, "At any rate, I'm glad to finally know what happened to Taylor. I'd had suspicions…but those boys would never tell me, no matter how many times I threatened them."

That pricked LeFay's interest. Izumi talked about Taylor being in the gate as if it had made sense somehow. It did not make any kind of sense to LeFay. She'd wondered repeatedly why her best friend had been in the gate. When she had planned to come to Amestris to find Taylor, she had expected her to be in Resembool, Central, Dublith even. _Not_ the gate. Which begged the question… "Izumi, do you know why Taylor was in the gate? You make it seem like it's been a long time since you've seen her."

"It has," she confirmed. Izumi proceeded to describe to her the night everything went down, the night the Fuhrer had been killed, the night the Homunculi had been destroyed, the night Al had been returned to his body…and the night that Taylor disappeared.

"And this was…?"

" About five months ago, give or take."

"Oh…" LeFay choked out. She steadied herself against the counter, eyes going every direction and looking at nothing. So Taylor had been trapped there for, and she stumbled over it even in her mind, _five months_? She wondered what sort of affects it had caused on her. Both in body and mind. Had Taylor simply slept the entire time? Why was she just floating there? Had it hurt? Had she been in pain? Why hadn't LeFay known? Shouldn't she had felt something, instinctively known her best friend needed help? No, that was a delusion every person fed themselves when something bad occurred to a loved one. LeFay was no different. Besides, five months ago LeFay was under the impression that Taylor was _dead_. D-E-A-D. Still, even when she was told different by Miss A, the simple idea of rushing in and saving the day had consumed her. She'd done both, but the damage had already been done to Taylor. God knew what had happened to her in there and God knew what LeFay's actions had caused to the gates. This changed so many things.

LeFay cleared her throat again, "Um, you said something about Ed and Al not telling you about what happened to Taylor. Now that you know she was in the gate can you guess why she was there?"

"Only with the obvious facts: Taylor was gone, and Al was here in his original body. It's not hard to see the connection between the two."

She was dumbfounded, to say the least. LeFay could be slow for the most part, her moments of wisdom being as rare as they were random. She hadn't thought of that possibility. With it shoved in her face though, she could see it quite clearly. "No way would Ed or Al use Taylor like that. Taylor must have done it of her own free will. But why?"

"She loved those boys," Izumi admitted. "They had grown rather close in their time together. I can't say I'm surprised to know it turned out this way."

LeFay pondered exactly how close they were. From Izumi's tone of voice, it was very close. Perhaps as close as family, like LeFay and Taylor were. "Okay, I get that. What I don't get is why she would go to that extreme. Surely there was another way? Something, _anything_ else! Aren't you even a little mad at them? That Ed and Al would let her? That she would resort to that?"

"Perhaps," Izumi gave her that much. The woman turned back to her forgotten vegetables, resuming her methodical cutting. "And perhaps I can relate. Tell me LeFay, isn't there someone you would be willing to sacrifice everything for?"

LeFay blinked, startled at the turn of conversation onto her. She thought about her question, really wrapped her mind around it. Yes, of course. She'd gone to the gate and back for Taylor, hadn't she? She'd do it again in a heartbeat if need be. Taylor was the closest person she had. Her best friend. Her confidant. Her words of wisdom in her times of need. Her soul sister.

Izumi read her like an open book, nodding to herself, "Then you have your answer. We don't fully know the circumstances of what went down on that night, but I know that those boys were kept alive because of her. And that's all I need to know."

LeFay wanted to deny it, but she couldn't fight the logic. She supposed that her opinion was biased, wanting Taylor safe no matter what and was angry if she wasn't. She just cared so much for her, couldn't imagine not having her there. It had been hell during those months LeFay thought that she was well and truly gone. And now that Taylor was back she'd be damned if she didn't do everything in her power to keep it that way. She'd find Taylor. And together they'd figure this huge mess out. She swore it.

First things first…she had to actually _find_ the girl before any of that happened. She'd need help though. LeFay couldn't find Taylor on her own. Immediately, she knew who would be her best bet.

"Izumi, can you tell me how to find the Elrics?"

* * *

(-Taylor-)

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Soon after my revelation, we strayed to a different subject, for which I was grateful. Talking about what happened…it was as relieving as it was straining. I wasn't up to discussing it anymore and Ed and Al could see that. There wasn't a moment when one of the brothers wasn't with me, and even if one strayed to another room they would come back within minutes. We talked for hours and hours about anything and everything, barely stopping for supper to only go back to talking and just being with one another. We were making up for lost time.

Currently, we were piled on one of the beds in the guest room where the boys usually resided. Ed had uncovered my sketchbook, for which I nearly squealed with giddiness. I'd filled many pages of it during my time with them. It touched me they'd kept it. My body warmed with the thought of being loved and cared for and I had to hug them all over again. It seemed I yearned for human contact constantly, because even after we separated I sat between the boys, leaning on a shoulder here, holding a hand there. It was something new but not unwelcome: how close we were now. Sure, I'd hugged them from time to time and such in the past but we were never like _this_. And for the life of me, I couldn't think of a better way to spend the day.

We looked through my sketchbook, turning the pages slowly. Sometimes we talked about the pictures, sometimes one of them was telling me a funny story about themselves, each other, or others I knew like Mustang's team and then some. As I got to the last picture we had grown quiet. Our eyes scanned over the lines, the hours I had spent, each minute with care, drawing each feature, shading each shadow. Even unfinished, the picture of us three was still spectacular.

"I'll have to finish this one day," I said, tracing the drawing with the pads of my fingers. Three smiling faces lit up the page, mine, Al's in his own body, and Edward's, even if Ed did look a little pouty in the picture. It was ironic how the picture had practically come true. Here we were, the three of us, alive and well, happy to just be with each other again. "Hm…I wonder if I can still draw. It's been awhile…"

"You'll just have to practice and get back into the hang of it," Al assured me, his head leaning on my shoulder. As time had passed, we'd all went from sitting on the bed to laying on the bed. I'm not sure when or how it happened but with two Elrics snuggled up to me like kittens I was far from complaining. I'd been cold for so long and with the heat of their bodies so close to mine I felt so warm. I was so comfortable I even felt my eyes drift close a couple of times. My tired body was telling me to go to sleep, to rest while the resting was good. With such a feeling of safety and warmth surrounding me, I began to wonder why I had thought sleeping was a bad idea.

"Talk to me," I said, trying to stay awake if only to gain a little more time with them. I didn't want to waste a second of our time together.

"About what?" Ed asked, a touch of amusement in his voice.

"I don't know. Anything? What you guys were doing before you came to Resembool? How about that?"

"Well," Ed began, propping himself up on his elbow and looking down at me. "We were hunting down Scar but the bastard found us instead."

I furrowed my eyebrows, frowning, "On the train you mean?"

"Yeah."

"By the way, what happened after I passed out?" They hadn't told me but I could venture a guess that Scar had escaped.

"Scar…got away…again," Ed admitted reluctantly.

"Gasp, I never saw that coming," I said sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up!" he rolled his eyes in response and glared at Al when he chuckled. Ed nudged my leg with his foot and I cringed.

"If you want to keep that foot I suggest you keep it to yourself."

He barked a laugh, "I guess some things never change."

"Damn straight," I agreed. No matter what, I would never grow out of my foot phobia. "Getting back to the subject, do you have any idea where Scar went?"

"Last we know he was headed towards Arcadia. Ed said he would call the General to inform him… You did call him, right Brother?" Al looked accusingly at Edward.

He scoffed, "Don't look at me like that! _Yes_, I called that annoying, egotistical pyromaniac last night."

"Hey, I take offense," I interjected.

Edward gave me a strange, critical look, "_How_?"

"I'm a pyromaniac."

"And you openly admit this?"

"Yes. I can't help that fire is so distracting and bright…and flickery…and pretty…and hypnotizing…"

"…Remind me to keep you away from matches."

"Coming from the guy that burnt down his own house."

"…"

"Uh-huh. That's what I thought."

"Behave children," Al sighed.

I nearly snorted. "Yes, Mother."

Speaking of Mustang, I'd been thinking about him and the other members of his team as well as everyone else from Hughes to Izumi. Ever since the boys had told me how they were nowadays I'd felt a pang of yearning in my chest. I wanted to see them all myself. I wanted to see how Mustang's team were doing, if Hughes was really okay like the brothers said, if Izumi was still angry at me. I intended to ask Ed and Al if we could go to Central soon and see everyone. The question would have to wait until morning however, as I had fallen asleep without notice, lulled by the sounds of their voices.

* * *

**Originally, I was not planning to put a part in for LeFay at all...but it's funny how when you're writing, the story takes you over and things just seem to happen. So, this chapter was a lot of warm fuzzies, answered some mysteries for our characters, and foreshadowed events to come. Who ha!**

**Next chapter! It will definitely be up in two weeks on time! I get out on Christmas break this week and I'll have plenty of time to write it, so I have no excuse! Speaking of Christmas, I went Christmas shopping today. I'm gonna have to wait to tell you guys what I got Taylor (just in case she reads this chapter before Christmas) but just know that it's awesome! And no, it's not brownies, though that wouldn't hurt. My favorite gift I bought was a sword for my brother. I am officially the coolest sister on the planet.**

**So tell me my furry friends, what do you guys want for Christmas? Me, not much really. I like giving more than recieving. Plus I have fanfiction, what more could I need? However, I will be getting Ouran Highschool Host Club on DVD, for which I'm excited about. Other than that, I can't think of anything I really want...but if Santa brought me an Edward Elric for Christmas I would be a happy camper! X3**

**Taylor: *grabs Ed* Mine...all mine...**

**Ed: I like it when she gets possesive.**

**For more of our favorite ginger, check out my newest one-shot "Al's Ways of Dealing With Ed". **


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm starting to make a bad habit of updating at the very last minute. Truthfully, I fully intended to update on Christmas day, but fate laughed in my face and said no. It seemed that every time I sat down to write this, someone called me or someone came over and I kept getting freaking interrupted! That's a real muse killer.**

**Onto the good news! Do you guys remember my sister, Shelby, that I mentioned in the first chapter of Reprieve? Well, surprise! She's pregnant! Which means I'm gonna be an aunt! Oh my freaking God! I'm gonna be an AUNT! Taylor said that I should be in the room when the baby was born, for moral support and all...um...no. Just no. I'm perfectly fine with cowering in the waiting room.**

**To jumpstart this chapter, I thought it would be appropriate to see Miss A's side of things. It's a perspective I never really went into in TBA. Let's see how mom's doing while the kiddies are away.**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**The Last Hope**

(-April-)

She opened the car door of her white Nissan Altima, stepping out into the yard and closing the door back with a sigh. April was glad to be home. She'd never had such a stressful week. Not even when Taylor first disappeared. Nothing could be done on her part, the fate of her daughter resting on LeFay's shoulders. It wasn't that April didn't trust the girl to bring her home safely. No, what made her walk around in a bundle of nerves everyday was fear that she had made a wrong choice. She worried constantly about those two girls, lost somewhere in another _world_. For all she knew, they could be…

The memory of the last few moments she spent with Taylor flashed through her mind. Her precious, beautiful daughter, bleeding, in pain, and yet putting all of her efforts in protecting April when it was _her_ job to protect Taylor. She still had no idea what happened afterwards. Whether Taylor bled to death or her friends came back for her…she just didn't know, and it drove her up the walls and then some.

April ran a shaky hand through her short, light brown hair, attempting to calm herself. Those sort of thoughts weren't helping. So what she let her daughter's best friend walk right into danger? So what if she had been lying to her youngest for months now? So what if it had been four whole days since LeFay vanished? So what if both the girl's family and the cops were asking her questions that she dare not answer in truth? No one would believe her anyway. Hell, _April _found it hard not to be skeptical at times and she had been there herself! The point was that she couldn't change things. All she could do is keep the questions at bay and wait for the girls to come home. All she could do was hope and leave things to LeFay. It didn't make her feel any less helpless.

God she needed a cigarette.

She trudged up the porch steps and slumped into the nearest seat, a red cushioned black wood settee. Slipping out her pack of smokes, she shook one out and lit it up. April breathed the smoke in deeply and let it out in a weary sigh. This is what stress did to her. She had quit smoking years ago, only to turn back to it after Taylor's 'death'. It wasn't the healthiest comfort but it kept her from going insane.

"_We will find her."_

April shuddered at the memory. Those words, in context reassuring, in reality they were a threat. She had just gotten back from the police station after a rigorous session of questioning. LeFay's disappearance did not go over well with her family, nor the local police. It didn't matter that April had cleaned her living room spotless, the place where it had all went down. It didn't matter that she had hidden LeFay's truck where no one would find it. It didn't matter that she had fed everyone lies, saying that LeFay had simply left her house that day to return home and she had not seen the girl since. The cops were suspicious, even if LeFay's family was only hurt and confused. They all wanted answers regardless.

A detective had been assigned LeFay's missing case, dragging April through a long series of interrogations. He linked LeFay's disappearance with that of Taylor's. He accused April for the disappearance of both of them. It was a thin line however, seeing as Taylor's vanishing had been under bizarre circumstances and in broad daylight, not to mention in front of a large group of tourists. April had no motive for either of them. They were grasping at straws and yet they _knew_ that April was hiding something. April had fought hard these past days not to succumb to all the pressure. If…no, _when_ LeFay returned home with her daughter, April would not be locked in some jail cell. She'd be here, waiting for the both of them.

April smushed the remains of the cigarette into a nearby ashtray and got up to wader inside. She expected Joeli to be inside somewhere. No such luck. She was met with an empty, quiet house. Quickly, April whipped out her cell phone and texted her daughter to find out where she was. "_At Tina's. Remember_?" came the reply. That's right, Joeli was supposed to go over to her long time friend, Christina's today. April had condoned it. That didn't change her from wanting her daughter here…both of them….like it used to be.

Joeli had change so much since Taylor had been gone. The fifteen-year-old girl, soon-to-be sixteen, didn't care much for anyone else anymore, being lost in her own little world. She barely batted an eye when LeFay went missing. She asked for the details and, once her curiosity was satisfied, asked her father to take her clothes shopping. Mark and April were divorced but he still doted on Joeli when she asked. April began to wonder if she was doing something wrong, if maybe this was some coping method her daughter displayed at the loss of her sister because her mother was failing somewhere in her life.

April laughed bitterly. Of course she was failing somewhere. Her _daughter_ was _missing_ for God's sake! In the beginning, Joeli stuck close to her, even sleeping with her like she used to when she was younger and big storms shook the house with thunder. Then suddenly, the girl just up and distanced herself, showing little interest in anyone else and finding every excuse to stay away from home. And perhaps Joeli was also avoiding _her _as well. Maybe she was angry, maybe she was closing herself off, maybe April just didn't know what was going on in her head anymore. The last one was the only thing she was sure of.

She sat on the large, brown sofa, staring out the window at the gloomy clouds while stroking her little Yorkie, Abby. Abby ate up the attention, unaware of her owner's distress.

"Maybe Mark was right," April confessed to the tiny dog. "Maybe I am a bad mother. Look where I've led this family to. I just don't know anymore. Joeli…Taylor…oh my baby girls."

Her hand covered her eyes as she felt the familiar, prickling sensation. She wished desperately that Taylor was here with her. Taylor was a sensible girl, giving her mother advice when she needed it and vice versa. That was the strength of their bond and, although they certainly didn't have the perfect relationship, they fell into their roles of mother and daughter equally. But now, April ran low on strength. So, unable to be of use, all she could do was hope that LeFay was strong enough for both herself and her daughter. The girl was her last hope.

* * *

(-Ed-)

He gazed softly at the pair lying beside him, snuggled up together and sleeping without a care in the world. The sight of Al and Taylor, safe and sound and here with him, made a smile creep up his face. It felt too good to be true, like if he looked away or closed his eyes it would all disappear.

For the first time in ages, Edward awoke that morning without a sense of urgency, without the knowledge that things were wrong and missing in his life. For once, he felt completely at ease. Not even the little nagging whispers in the back of his mind, the ones that were laced with guilt and worry and had been dragging him down for months, could reach him here. It was a liberating feeling. Everything seemed perfect…except for one small detail…

Why was Taylor snuggling with Al when she should have been getting cozy with Ed?

The blonde propped his head on his elbow, watching the two with a prominent pout. True, Al had missed her too, and Ed didn't begrudge his brother for needing the human contact as much as he did, the physical reassurance that Taylor was here and not a hallucination. And it wasn't like he had any notions whatsoever that Taylor and Al were anything but platonic, loving each other only as siblings. It was just that…well…Ed wanted to be the one Taylor was nestled against! Was that so wrong?

Ed gave a soft groan and flopped his head back on the pillow. The bed was large enough to fit the three of them, albeit it was a tight fit. A part of Ed's calf rested against Taylor's leg, and his knuckles brushed through strands of her long hair, but it wasn't enough for him. He just wanted her. In his arms. _Now_.

The moody alchemist sighed through his nose, settling for letting his fingers glide through the ridiculously long hair. It reminded him of a long ago conversation the two of them had shared late one night. Taylor had warned him to be careful of long hair, that it could potentially strangle you in your sleep. The absurd explanation brought a small grin to his face now. At the time, Ed had simply laughed, although now that he saw the length of Taylor's hair the idea became more plausible. The red-brown locks practically reached the girl's knees! A quick inspection of the ends of the hair told him that it had been cut recently, since there were no split ends. It made Ed wonder just how long it had been when she had gotten back. Al's hair had been pretty long, even longer than Ed's himself, when he returned to his body. It had-

Ed's thoughts completely short-circuited when the strands slipped from his fingers only to be replaced by a soft body melding into his own. After turning over, Taylor had sought the warmth of Ed's body heat, reaching out to cling to his shirt and pull herself against him. A cold nose pressed itself against the exposed skin of his neck, followed by a warm puff of breath when she exhaled with a contented sigh. The contrasting stimuli shot sparks from his neck to his entire body, causing him to positively liquefy.

Okay, he was happy now.

Edward's lips pulled up in a goofy grin as he hugged Taylor to him, enjoying having her in his arms. His hand had a mind of its own as it slid down her head and back, then up again to repeat the languid strokes. He rested his cheek against her temple, taking in the subtle scent of her.

This was both something he missed desperately and something new altogether. He remembered the times they had been close like this, the times they'd exchanged touches, glances, words…kisses. Oh yes, Ed remembered the brush of her lips, the first intimate contact he'd ever had with a girl before. That was one of the things he regretted when he lost Taylor: not being able to explore that feeling together. And now it was a practically new sensation altogether because it was so much _stronger_. The need to have her close, wanting her to be happy, that intoxicating warmth she gave him when their bodies were flush against each other like this, it was better than he could recall. He contemplated how it would be if he pressed his lips to hers now. His heart rate picked up just thinking about it.

A whispery chuckle interrupted his thoughts. Ed cracked an eye open, unaware he had closed them in the first place, and stared at his laughing, awake little brother.

"What?" Ed asked, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably. He couldn't be bothered by anything, not with his arms full of Taylor.

Al's eyes twinkled and he said teasingly, "Nothing, just the look on your face. You look pretty happy."

A slight blush colored his cheeks. Still, Ed smirked, "I guess I am." And why shouldn't he be? They were all together again, something that Ed had dreamed about relentlessly. For so long he'd forced himself to accept the fact that he'd never see Taylor again. That she had become another part of his life ripped away from him, like his mother, like Nina and Hawkeye. Despite everything, here she was, miraculously alive and safe in his arms. And that's the way he intended to keep it. He had failed her numerous times in the past. Never again. Ed would protect her this time. He swore it.

"So when are you going to finally tell her you love her?"

"Ack!" Ed sputtered, face going cherry red and wide eyes staring at his giggling brother in disbelief. "W-wha-?! I-I-whaaaa-?!"

"Don't strain yourself, Brother," Al snorted, attempting to restrain his amusement so he wouldn't wake the sleeping girl between them. Although, that would be hard to do, seeing how Taylor was dead to the world.

"What…what makes you think…that I…uuhhh…?!" Ed couldn't even form complete sentences, flustered as he was.

He gave him a deadpan look, "I'm not blind. I could always tell there was something between you two back then."

"I…uh…how?" was Ed's brilliant retort.

Al's look turned smug, "Cause I know you like the back of my hand. Plus, it didn't help that you were always ogling at her when you thought no one was looking."

"I wasn't ogling! Just because I look at her doesn't mean anything!"

"Brother…you'd wear this goofy grin on your face. Kinda like the one you had a minute ago."

Ed's face doubled in color, causing him to smother his face in Taylor's hair in an attempt to hide, "We are not having this conversation." Even though Ed couldn't see him anymore, he _knew_ Al was smiling all knowingly. What had been said could not be unsaid and now Ed was thinking too much for his liking. And with those thoughts in his head and Taylor right beside him, his blush would not go away. He began to consider Taylor's thoughts on the matter. And did she even feel like…_that_ towards him? Sure, they had shared something between them in the past, but time changed many things. How much did it change Taylor? For Ed, he was willing, more than willing, to be with Taylor like that. Oh was he willing and then some. Time had never changed that fact. So…would Taylor…could they…?

Ed groaned in defeat. When had he become such a…teenaged boy?!

Deciding to save these thoughts for a later time, Edward declared, "I'm hungry."

Al snorted, "What do I look like, a kitchen pantry? Go get something to eat then."

He weighed his options, glancing between the snoozing girl beside him and the door, "Hmmm, Taylor, or food. Taylor or food…. I choose both."

Al's brows rose incredulously, "What, are you gonna carry her to the kitchen with you and sit her on your lap while you eat?"

The idea had possibilities, but there were other options. Options that didn't require him to leave the bed. "Or you could go make us something and bring it back."

"Yes, your highness. What would you like for breakfast?" Al rolled his eyes, sitting up on the bed.

"Food, and lots of it."

"Well, that wasn't specific at all."

Ed smiled, enjoying bantering with his brother. He propped himself up on his automail hand, leaving his flesh arm firmly around Taylor. His gaze wandered to her for a moment, considering, then back up to Al. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Al looked over at Taylor, taking a moment to catch on. Then he looked back to Ed with a big smile, "Brownies for breakfast?"

"Bingo."

He laughed, "Alright, you win, Brother. But next time _you're_ going to be the one to go cook breakfast while _I_ stay in bed with the pretty girl."

Ed shielded Taylor from view as best he could, "Mine."

Al chuckled good-naturedly at his antics, then swept out of the room.

Edward had nearly dozed off again by the time Al came back an hour later, a plate of steaming brownies in hand.

"Winry says 'thank you' to us," Al said, returning to his spot on the bed.

Ed's brows furrowed in puzzlement as he gently disentangled himself from Taylor to sit up, "Thank us? For what?"

"For getting Taylor to sleep. Winry said that she hasn't slept much, if any, since she got back."

He blinked several times, finding that fact hard to swallow. If that was true then Taylor hadn't slept in what, four? Five days? Anyone would have dropped from exhaustion at around the three mark. That didn't mean Winry lied, not that she would. Perhaps the gate caused some strange after affects? Ed voiced his thoughts to Al.

The younger pursed his lips, considering the idea. He shook his head, "No, I don't think so. My body was trapped in the gate and when I got it back I slept a ton at the hospital, remember?"

"That was just your body though. When you insert a person's soul into the mix, it becomes a whole different ball game." His eyes darted over Taylor's sleeping form. "What could it have done to make her stay awake for five days?"

"That was probably part of it, but Winry said there was more to it than that." Al's gaze followed his brother's. The two of them watched over her as he went on, "Taylor's afraid. She seemed pretty okay yesterday, but inside I think she's terrified. She's scared that she'll have to go back."

"Over my dead body," Ed stated in a steely voice. "I don't know how she was able to escape the gate, nor do I have any clue why the portal tried to open when she tried to perform alchemy. But I do know that we'll keep her safe no matter what it takes. We didn't come this far just to lose her again."

Al nodded fervently, "Right! We'll be there for her and help her get back on her feet. We can even figure out how she got back if we put our minds to it."

"We'll dig around, see what we can find. In the meantime, we'll have to make sure she doesn't get clap-happy. I don't want to take any chances."

With that decided, Ed snatched the plate of brownies. He took one and bit off half of the square of fudge. Al quickly grabbed the plate back.

"Hey!" he protested.

"I'm not gonna let you eat all of them before Taylor gets some. We should wait for her."

"Forget waiting! I'm hungry now!" Ed made a grab for the brownies. He was thwarted when Al held the plate out of reach.

"Well then wake her up so she can join us."

He paused, then glanced from Taylor to Al again with a skeptical look, "Really? We've been talking over her, loudly mind you, for the past ten minutes. I don't think cannon fire would work at this point."

"I think it's only been _you_ who's been loud."

"That's irrelevant."

"You're still not getting any."

"Damn you, have you no heart?"

"Yes, but Taylor is more deserving than you."

Ed's jaw dropped, "That hurts, Alphonse. That really hurts." Al's only response was to smile innocently. Edward cursed again, turning to the unconscious girl. He shook her shoulder, receiving no reaction. He called to her, "Up and at 'em. You're wasting daylight, sleepyhead! Taaaaylor… Oh, come on! It's time to join the world of the living!"

"I don't think that's working."

"Gee, I haven't noticed," he replied sarcastically. He nudged Taylor's shoulder one more time, then sighed in defeat. What did he have to do? Shove a brownie down her throat?! "Wait, that's it!" He whipped around to Al, "Gimme one of those!"

"What? Why?!" Al clamored, leaning out of the reach of his demanding older brother.

"We must use the brownies! Only with them can we achieve victory!"

After both of them nearly falling off the bed, Ed managed to snag one of the delicacies and put it to good use. He waved the confection above Taylor's face, hoping she would smell the chocolaty goodness.

"Taylor, if you wake up you can have all the brownies you want," Ed promised in a sweet tone. Taylor's nose twitched, encouraging him further. He plopped the brownie square right on her forehead, then sat back and waited. Both brothers watched intently for several seconds. Her eyelids clenched for a moment as if in confusion, a small sound making it's way past her closed lips. Slowly, agonizingly so, her eyelids moved until they could see the first signs of green past thick, dark eyelashes. One blink, then two, then three. The lids drifted up halfway and stayed there, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. A few seconds later, she gradually rose to a sitting position, the brownie falling onto her lap. The brothers held their breaths as they waited for what would happen next.

Taylor, half awake expression still in place, looked down at the brownie as if deciphering what the object was. She sluggishly picked it up and held it in front of her face. Taking a moment to sniff the snack, she chomped down on it. She ate the bite with exaggerated chews and, before she had even swallowed, she laid down to go back to sleep, only this time while cuddling a half eaten brownie.

Al was the first to burst into a fit of laughter. Then Ed, who was desperately trying to be annoyed that his plan had backfired, reluctantly joined in. It was just so…Taylor! And it was made even funnier due to the fact that, not the brownies or Ed's many other attempts to rouse her, but their laughter was what woke her.

"What?" Taylor moaned in confusion, blinking her eyes rapidly. She rubbed at them, trying to see what all the commotion was about.

"Good morning!" Al chirped brightly while Ed muttered loudly, "It's about time."

"Morning," she repeated blankly. As the realization dawned on her, she shot straight up, "Morning! I fell asleep?"

"Yep," Ed answered. "Didn't think you'd ever wake up either."

Al nodded in agreement, "And I thought Brother was a deep sleeper."

Taylor wiped at her face, astounded, "Wow… I can't believe I actually fell asleep."

"How'd you sleep? No nightmares I hope."

She shook her head, "Surprisingly, no… I guess it helped that I had the two best teddy bears in the world."

"Who are you calling a child's tiny stuffed animal?!" Ed snapped.

A small, playful smile brightened Taylor's face as she replied back easily, "You."

He hesitated for a moment, calculating her. He returned her smile with a smug one, "I suppose I am, what with the way you were snuggling me in your sleep and all."

Taken aback, her cheeks flushed a light pink, "Snuggling?"

"Oh yeah," he confirmed. Encouraged by her reaction, he winked at her, "Let me know if you need to use me again. I'd be happy to oblige."

A crimson blush enveloped her face entirely as she avoided eye contact with him. Edward delighted in her flustered state so much that not even the I-told-you-so look Al aimed at him could bring him down. Taylor wrung her hands, licking her lips nervously, "Um, that's…uh… … …are those brownies?" And her attention had been successfully diverted as she spotted the plate in Al's lap. Forgetting her embarrassment, she zeroed in on the brownies.

"Yeah, I made them specially for you." Ed's smiling face was then hit with a brownie. He frowned, "Okay, maybe Al made them specially for you but we both came up with the idea."

"Uh-huh," Al huffed grumpily, turning back to Taylor. He beamed at her and offered the plate to her.

"You…made me brownies?" she asked in shock, taking the plate carefully onto her lap. She stared down at the fudge squares, her long bangs obscuring the top half of her face.

"Yep! And I had to fend them off from Brother so we're lucky most of them are still there."

"More like you were intending to starve me," Ed grumbled, chowing down on the brownie Al had thrown at him.

"Have I…" Taylor began but cut herself off as if she were having trouble getting the words out. The boys looked at her, curious glances transforming into worried ones. Had they done something wrong? Had they upset her? Ed nearly panicked when she lifted her head and he saw tears in her eyes, thinking that they really had upset her. But the unwavering smile on her face told him that they were happy tears. "Have I ever told you guys how much I love you?" she asked, staring at them in complete adoration.

Al grinned pleasantly while Ed had to look away with a slight blush. "You might have mentioned it in passing," he mumbled self-consciously.

"You guys are the best," she told them, wiping at her eyes.

Ed shifted uncomfortably, not used to such open admissions. If she kept staring at him like that he might just melt into a puddle of goo. It was already doing funny things to his stomach. "Alright already. Just wipe that dopey look off your face and eat your brownies."

She seemed torn between smiling and pouting, "My looks aren't dopey." Taylor went ahead and obeyed, picking up one of the brownies and biting into it. Her eyes closed and she moaned, "Mhmmmm, I'm in Heaven." Shoulders slumping, she moaned again. The sound made Ed's heart stutter and the room suddenly seemed warmer. He cursed inwardly, shaking his head and pulling his mind from the gutter. Yep, Taylor definitely affected him more now. Yep, his teenage hormones were reacting. And yep, he was screwed.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

I woke up, having a wonderful night's sleep, only to have brownies for breakfast with my two favorite boys in the world. I had to say, things were looking up for me… Knock on wood.

After breakfast, the guys decided that they would check out their old place. At first, I thought it was a reminiscing thing and would have kept my nose out of it. That wasn't the case. They wanted to investigate my reappearance. I wasn't exactly sure why, but part of me was grateful. I'd like to know for myself who, or what, brought me back and for what reason. And then there was the question of permanence. Was I here to stay? Did the darkness-or the gate rather, intend to drag me back? It appeared that way the other day during the fight with Scar at the train. Al and Ed said that might have been a fluke though, me somehow accessing the gate when I attempted alchemy. They didn't even have to get a sentence of warning out to get me to agree that me using alchemy was a big fat no-no. Bottom line was, we'd all be more at ease knowing what happened.

The walk to Ed and Al's old house didn't consist of much chatter. Mostly, I was contemplating how an alchemist who has seen the gate could play patty-cake. Think about it, they wouldn't get very far in the game without exploding something. I asked Ed about it. He asked me what patty-cake was. I dropped the subject. Why was I even thinking of patty-cake in the first place? Oh yeah, it was better than letting my thoughts stray to darker places.

We strolled along the path at an easy pace, mostly for my sake. I wouldn't be up for much physical activity but a walk through Resembool was practically relaxing. I ate up the sunshine and fresh air, even stopping to lay in an inviting patch of grass at one point. Ed complained about wanting to get back to the house within the year but Al shushed him, saying that he had done the same thing when he got his body back. They humored me and a while later I got up so we could resume our path to destiny! Well, the path to the burnt remains of the Elric home. Same difference.

When we reached where the house once stood, I scanned the place up, down, left, and right. This was the first time I had been here, conscious anyway. Scattered, burnt sections of the foundation remained, along with bits of charred wood here and there. Where the house once stood, green grass filled its place. There wasn't a whole lot to see. I almost believed there was nothing out of the ordinary, if it weren't for the feeling the area exuded.

It was cold. I didn't know exactly how to explain it, how to put something so…abstract into words. The best I could describe it was a shadow, or a stain marked the place. I swore I could feel the waves of… Words failed to describe the sensation. All I knew was that it was cold, creepy, and _not right_.

I couldn't step foot on the stained earth. My progress halted at where the door had once stood. Chills racked bone deep, causing me to rub at my arms. I didn't like whatever was causing this feeling of icy dread. It reminded me far too much of the darkness I had recently escaped. It almost felt like it knew I was here and was watching me…

"Taylor?" Al asked.

Ed glanced at me, noticing how I stood at the edge while they had sauntered right in. "Something wrong?" he asked me, clearly five seconds away from coming back over to me.

I shook my head, but I knew them well enough that I had to admit why I was standing there frozen, "I'm just getting bad vibes from this place is all. It's giving me the creeps."

"Do you remember anything?" Al inquired, probably thinking that was why I seemed a little freaked out.

"No." I didn't mention the fact that part of me didn't _want _to remember. If I had a choice, I wouldn't think ever again about darkness and gates and death. But things like that… They weren't easily forgettable. "It's all one big blur. I don't even remember being here. But it's still creepy."

Ed gave me a reassuring smile, "We'll try to make this quick."

They scoured the area for any clues while I watched from afar. Yes, afar. It took all of half a minute before I caved and went a few yards away. It was enough space that I could breathe, but not enough to make the goosebumps on my skin disappear. The sooner we left the better.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Ed grumbled after fifteen minutes of thoroughly inspecting every inch of the area.

"What were you expecting to find?" I asked, standing up from where I had been sitting on the ground.

He kicked a board aside in frustration, "I don't know. _Something_, at least. There's no signs anywhere that a transmutation has been performed here."

I cocked my head to the side, "Why would there be?"

"We've got to eliminate all of the possibilities," Al explained. "There's a chance that an alchemist could have brought you back. Although, it would have to be someone who knew you."

"And a hell of a powerful alchemist," Ed added.

"That limits the list," I admitted, crossing my arms in thought. "The only ones I can think of would be Izumi and Mustang…and possibly Dante, though I'm pretty certain the gate consumed her."

"Served her right," Ed commented, bringing a smile to my lips.

"I don't think either Teacher or the General would have done this," Al informed us, a thoughtful frown on his face. "If they had they would have told us about it."

"Plus, Mustang's not really the bleeding-heart type. As for Teacher…she'd know better than to try something that dangerous. Besides, no one besides us knew what happened to you. Even _we_ didn't know you were stuck in there."

We all agreed to that. Which left us back to square one. We still didn't know who or what was to blame for my return. If it wasn't any of the alchemists mentioned, then who? It'd have to be someone with extensive knowledge of both alchemy and the gate. The idea of Hohenheim being the one popped into my head but I quickly dismissed it. Although he was probably somewhere out there, I had never met the man…I think. I mean, I would have remembered that… Or would I? Cause there was this vague sense in the back of my mind that dealt with Hohenheim. However, I couldn't put my finger on it. Eh, I was probably just imagining things.

Speaking of their dad, I wondered if Ed and Al ever discovered the truth about him and Dante? More likely, they hadn't, or they just didn't want to talk about it. But it made me question where the man was. His whole reason for leaving was to deal with Dante, right? So if she was dead and gone he should have come back by now. Maybe he died somewhere along the way. I guess I'd never know.

"Hey," Ed poked my forehead, calling me back to the present. "You're spacing out on us."

"Sorry," I apologized. "We going back to the house now?"

"Yeah. There's nothing left for us here."

Relieved, I followed along as they headed out. The silent minutes ahead were tense. Well, tense for me anyway. I tried again and again to work up the courage to ask them what had been on my mind since last night. I must have opened my mouth and closed it a dozen times when Ed sighed. I glanced at him questioningly, him staring up at the cloudy sky.

"If you've got something to say, then say it."

"Brother," Al chided his brashness.

"What? It's better than her having her do that fish impression the whole way."

I frowned, "Fish? Really?"

He shrugged, "That's besides the point. Is there something you want to say?"

"Um…yeah," I admitted weakly. Fiddling with my fingers, I inhaled deeply and said, "You've told me a lot of things about how everyone's been doing since I…left… But I was thinking… Knowing that everyone's okay is one thing, but seeing them is another. So I was thinking that I'd like to go see them. Like…we go to Central and Dublith… If…that's alright?" Once I had gotten that out, I held my breath.

The only sound was our footsteps. The boys said nothing for awhile. They faced straight ahead, eyes glancing to the side to meet each others' gazes. The two of them had some sort of sibling mind conversation and appeared to come to an agreement.

"That sounds like a good idea," Al nodded.

"Yeah, I'd love to see the look on Mustang's face when you walk into his office," Ed snickered. "It'll be great to wipe that pompous smirk off his face."

I brightened, "So we can go? Really?!"

"If you're up to it, I don't see why not."

"Yay!" I cheered, hugging both of them.

It was settled. The three of us were going to, first Central, then Dublith. We would pack our things tonight and catch an early train the next morning. Yes, things were definitely looking up.

…

…

…

And yes, I took Ed up on that teddy bear offer that night. What pleasantly surprised me was how excited he seemed to be about it.

* * *

(-Winry-)

The next day brought the young mechanic a tearful goodbye with her friends. As they stood waiting at the station, Winry hugged them numerous times, telling them over and over again to be careful and to stay in touch. It just worried her so much to see them leaving again, especially Taylor. The girl had been in her care for a while now and Winry hated to see her go. As a precaution, she threatened Ed and Al's lives if they didn't take care of her. Needless to say, they complied.

Later that afternoon found Winry working away at the wiring in an automail leg. She was so focused on her task that she didn't hear the knocking at the front door until her grandmother yelled at her to answer it, saying that she had her hands full at the moment. Winry hurriedly wiped off her hands, leaving oil marks on a once white rag. She assumed that the person knocking would be a customer of theirs scheduled to get fitted with a new hand that day. Instead, she found a complete stranger on her doorstep.

"Hi," Winry greeted pleasantly. She scanned the girl up and down, noting the odd clothes. The shirt was odd anyway, even if the blue jeans were pretty normal. The girl wore a black T-shirt with red words on the front that said "There's a method to my madness".

"Hi, you must be Winry Rockbell, right?" the girl said in an equally friendly tone. Winry was almost surprised by the almost child-like tone of the girl. She thought her voice would have been deeper, seeing as how she was as tall as Winry, probably the same age, and on the fluffy side. Her skin was a light tan except in her cheeks where a natural pink tone was. Oval brown eyes, thin lips, shoulder length brown hair, dark pink and black glasses. She seemed nice and normal enough.

"That'd be me. What can I do for you?"

The girl smile happily. "I heard that I could find the Elric brothers here…?" she trailed off in a question.

Winry momentarily wondered where this girl knew Ed and Al from. Knowing how Ed's job took him to many towns, it could be anywhere. "Sorry, they left this morning."

Remember how Winry thought that this girl seemed normal enough? She could not have been more wrong.

"Noooooo!" the girl cried dramatically. She grabbed her head and spun around in circles, "I was so close! So close! Why me?!" Then she stopped her ranting altogether, choosing to bang her head on the wall of the house. In a gloomy voice, she asked to no one in particular, "What am I gonna do now? Why does life hate me? What am I gonna do now?" Winry didn't have time to say anything as the girl had already switched moods again and was in a contemplative one, asking herself, "What would Jesus do?" She frowned for a second, then shook her head, "No clue… ONTO PLAN B! What would Amy do?"

"Uhhh…"

The girl shook her head, "Nah, world domination is not the answer. I'm not smart enough to pull it off anyway. If only I had Amy's brains. Which brings me back to _what am I gonna do?!_"

Winry had had enough. She knocked the girl upside the head with a wrench, "For starters, you could explain to me what's wrong!"

"Owie," the girl whimpered, rubbing her head. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because you were going bonkers!"

"That's my normal personality though."

"Normal?"

"Well, that's debatable…" The strange brunette regained her composure, continuing to rub her forehead as she sighed, "I don't know where to even start."

"You're name might be nice," Winry suggested, glad that the girl had calmed down.

"Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly. Rather than offer a handshake like most people, the girl waved, "My name is LeFay Strent. Pleased to meet ya!"

* * *

**I think we can all agree that if LeFay is the last hope then the world is surely doomed. XD**

**So Miss A has been trying to stay strong, Ed finally realized he has hormones, the group's going to Central, and LeFay is finding out quickly that life hates her. Again, I have so much fun torturing myself!**

**Oh! I wanted to tell you guys how my Christmas went! I got Taylor a Nightmare Before Christmas blanket and a really pretty dreamcatcher, and she got me a box of Dr. Pepper. We are both very pleased with our gifts. I hope all of you guys got what you wanted to! ^_^**

**Happy New Year! And be sure to check out the sequel to "Al's Ways of Dealing With Ed". It's called "Taylor's Cake of Life".**

* * *

**OMAKE**

"Yes, your highness. What would you like for breakfast?" Al rolled his eyes, sitting up on the bed.

"Food, and lots of it."

"Well, that wasn't specific at all."

Ed smiled, enjoying bantering with his brother. He propped himself up on his automail hand, leaving his flesh arm firmly around Taylor. His gaze wandered to her for a moment, considering, then back up to Al. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Al looked over at Taylor, taking a moment to catch on. Then he looked back to Ed with a mischievous smile, "Threesome?"

Ed stared at his brother with bulging eyes, "W-_WHAT_?! Al?!"

"Hm, guess we weren't thinking the same thing after all…"

* * *

**Thanks for this chapter goes to my little sis, YourSecretStalker, and Taylor. My lil sis was actually the one to come up with the omake. X3**


	10. Chapter 10

**Look at me! Updating at a decent hour instead of freaking 1 o'clock in the morning like I've been doing. I so proud of myself. X3**

**So I started classes again this past week...and I have an algebra exam tomorrow... Guess who's cramming after she gets done updating? Arg, I hate math and it hates me. College is far too time consuming for my tastes. **

**For those of you looking for an update for _Taylor's Cake of Life_, sorry but it's gonna be awhile, maybe a couple weeks. I'm just so busy and the new chapter will be longer than anticipated. Sorry for the wait. ^_^'**

**Something that happened that I find half funny, half insulting. Someone reviewed my story, _The Guide to Amestris_, saying that it was in violation of the rules of Fanfiction and that I should take it down. Okay, I can deal with them stating the facts, but then they went so far as to add the guide to a community that is essentially for wrong do-ers? Really? ...Really?! That's a little too much if you ask me. Lmao, but I'm not taking it down. I feel that the good it brings to people far outweighs any potential violations it has. So I'm just going to ignore that review and pretend it never happened. XD**

**Anything else... Oh yeah! I'm thinking about changing the name of this story from _Reprieve_ to _The Blood Alchemist: Reprieve_. What do you guys think?**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Every Night**

(-LeFay-)

She didn't think her week could get any worse. Then she came to the Rockbell's and found out that she had missed the Elric brothers by mere hours. She began to wonder if there was some higher power writing her life story and throwing in horrible irony bits just for kicks.

On the bright side, Winry had put her wrench away.

"Nice to meet you too," the mechanic nodded after LeFay introduced herself. She wore a small smile but her eyes scanned the brunette over in curiosity. "Why are you looking for Ed and Al?"

LeFay smoothed her hair behind her ears in a nervous gesture, "Well, they're the only ones who can help me. I'm looking for a friend of mine. You've probably met her." Winry's brows rose at that. _Here goes nothing_, she thought to herself and asked, "Taylor Riley?"

Azure eyes widened to impossible size, staring at LeFay as if she'd said that she didn't know what automail was. A mixture of emotions swirled in those irises: suspicion, disbelief, excitement, and more suspicion. Winry discreetly slid her hand in the pants pocket she had placed her wrench in, "How do you know Taylor?"

LeFay's mind was working at light speed. Did she tell the truth? Did Winry ever discover Taylor's true origins? The girl obviously knew Taylor, but how well? And how much did she know about Taylor's disappearance? From what Izumi said, LeFay gathered that the Elrics never told a soul about what truly went down that one night. Regardless, if Winry had become a close friend of Taylor's while she was here then this, LeFay showing up on her doorstep and throwing a bombshell on the poor girl, would be pretty rough on her.

"She's my best friend," LeFay started truthfully. She paused and contemplated the best way to phrase her next sentence. If she said the right words then Winry would know without LeFay revealing too much. "We grew up together."

"You mean…" Winry trailed off, the significance of that information not being lost on her.

So fast that LeFay was left dazed, Winry grabbed her wrist, drug her inside, slammed the door shut, and pushed her onto the living room couch. The otaku didn't protest, remaining seated while she looked around herself. The inside of the Rockbell house was everything she could have predicted. The living room featured a long couch with comfy chairs on the side, a couple of bookshelves filled with mostly thick volumes and some small novels, and a few metal knickknacks here and there on available surfaces. LeFay could see through the open doorway, past the hallway with the staircase, where the dining room met the kitchen. It was quaint and nice.

Winry sat in a chair next to the end of the couch where she had plated LeFay. The mechanic stared at her with rabid interest, making LeFay a little uncomfortable. She wasn't one for extended periods of eye contact and Winry was staring her down like she was the seventh wonder of the world. Or eighth? How many wonders were there again?

"Where's your grandmother?" LeFay asked to ease the tension in the air.

Winry's eyes narrowed slightly at the familiar way the brunette was acting, "She's busy at the moment."

"Ah…okay."

"If you grew up with Taylor," Winry began without preamble, a grin forming on her face, "does that mean you're from where she is?"

"Did she tell you?" Truthfully, LeFay was somewhat surprised. Miss A had explained everything from her visit here, and, from her, LeFay knew that the brothers knew about Taylor being from another world, but Winry knew too? She wondered how she came to find out, by accident or by Taylor telling her, and if it was the latter, why? LeFay would think that kind of info would be on a strictly need-to-know basis. Plus, not many would believe such an elaborate story.

"Yes," Winry affirmed. "To be honest, I didn't believe any of it when the guys first told me. But they were convinced, and Taylor was an honest type of person. I kept my doubts until I could find some proof."

"Did you ever get that proof?"

She shook her head sadly, "No. Taylor disappeared before I could." Then she laughed, "It's kind of funny. When she just up and vanished, a hopeful part of me imagined that she had went back home to her own world. So somewhere along the way, I began to accept the possibility."

"She wasn't back home, I can assure you," LeFay spoke, crossing her legs and arms. "If she had, then I would have never come here in the first place."

A light bulb practically flashed above Winry's head, "So that means _you're_ the one who brought Taylor back?"

LeFay's brows furrowed as she frowned, taking a minute to comprehend Winry's words. "You make it sound like you've… Wait, have you seen her?!"

She nodded enthusiastically, "She just showed up here days ago, unconscious and more than a little worse for wear. She's gotten better though, and left with Ed and Al this morning."

"Whaaaaa?!" LeFay droned, flabbergasted and unable to believe her luck. Then she leapt to her feet to make a run for the door, "I MUST GO FIND MY GINGER!"

"Hold on!" Winry yelled, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back down to the couch. "I didn't even tell you where they went."

"Tellmetellmetellmetellme!" LeFay demanded in a barely comprehensible rush.

"Hold your horses! I'm not telling you anything until you tell me what happened."

"What happened?" she repeated questioningly, breaking out of her 'need-to-find-Taylor-right-_now'_ trance.

"Yes. We've been running in circles here trying to figure out how Taylor escaped that place she was trapped in or came back to life or whatever you want to call it. From the way they explained it she wasn't even supposed to be alive! So I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me exactly what happened."

LeFay mused over this, weighing her options. It couldn't hurt to tell Winry. Besides, the girl wouldn't budge until she had her answers. The faster she got this over with the faster LeFay could leave to find Taylor.

With a resigned sigh, LeFay sunk into the cushions and asked, "Did you ever meet Taylor's mom?" With a jerky nod from the curious blonde, LeFay went on, "It began with her. I never knew what happened to Taylor, and neither did she until she came here herself. Miss April never told anyone about it though, not until many weeks later when I asked her about this transmutation circle I found at her house. That was when Miss A came clean about everything. And as for the circle, it was the only thing she had that came from here. She said it was a redrawn replica of Taylor's own tattoos. Speaking of which, have you seen them?"

"Yeah, they cover most of her upper body I think."

"…are they cool?"

"What?"

"Never mind," LeFay cleared her throat and got back on track. "Anyway, I spent months trying to figure out how to activate the array. One thing led to another, a little stroke of genius on my part," here, LeFay gave a cocky grin, "and then I was able to activate the freaking circle. I was dragged into the gate… Do you know what that is, Winry?"

Her serious expression told her that she had a clear enough idea, "That's where they think Taylor was trapped."

"Oh, she was. Just floating in a sea of gate babies galore." Winry gave the fluffy girl an odd look. LeFay sighed, "In other words, I found her inside of the gate, floating in the middle of that place, surrounded by the creatures of the gate. They weren't happy when I pulled her out. They tried to come after us. To make a long story short, everything got all wonky on the inside, Taylor wouldn't wake up, those things were coming after us, and the place was going to hell. We escaped through the gate leading to this world but we became separated. I ended up on some God forsaken island in the middle of this lake in Dublith. Izumi found me there days later."

"Ed and Al's teacher?" she asked, head cocking to the side.

"The one and only," LeFay agreed with a slight shudder. "Nothing against the woman, because she is pretty awesome and did save me from spending the rest of eternity on that freaking island, but she can be kinda scary."

Winry giggled, "Al and Ed say the same thing."

"Well, believe it." Then LeFay smacked her forehead for quoting Naruto of all things. And if that wasn't bad enough, her thoughts wandered down a different path. If FMA could be real, why not Naruto? Or any other work of fiction? Was anything fiction for that matter? Did every fairy tail, book, and TV show have some merit to it? If she died, would LeFay go to the Soul Society? So many questions…

"LeFay?" Winry asked, waving her hand in front of the spaced out girl.

"My bad," she apologized. LeFay coughed in a subdued manner, "Anywho… I told Izumi everything and she helped me out. She's not exactly sure how I was able to pull Taylor out of the gate, or how Taylor is still alive for that matter, but we both agreed that I should find Taylor A.S.A.P. There's no telling what kind of side-effects that place had on her. She said she'd keep an eye out for random gingers popping up in Dublith, but I guess she doesn't have to since Taylor and the boys went to…" Hope lit up LeFay's face.

Winry gave a half grin, knowing that she was fishing for answers, "They went to Central."

"Shoulda known," LeFay muttered. Then she hopped up, practically prancing towards the front door, "Well, it was nice meeting you Winry but I've got to get to Central." She began to mentally calculate the remaining funds Izumi had given to her for traveling purposes. LeFay wasn't an expert on cens but she reckoned she had enough for a train ride to Central…hopefully.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the next train to Central won't be here until tomorrow."

LeFay froze in mid-prance, swiveling her head to stare at Winry with a twitching eye, "Not until…tomorrow?"

The mechanic was a sadist at heart because she _smiled_ at LeFay, finding her predicament freaking _amusing_. In a sing-song voice, Winry declared, "I guess that means your stuck staying the night here."

"Stay…the night?" she repeated in the same shocked way as before.

"Yep. And that means I can ask you all the questions I want," the blonde said like a predator stalking down its prey.

"…yeah, I'm so killing the author for this."

"What?"

"Nothing, just thinking out loud."

* * *

(-Taylor-)

_My mind is made up, nothing can change that, I'm coming home to you,every night every night every night every night_, I sang the lyrics in my head while humming the melody softly to myself. Edward had konked out hours ago, sprawled out on his half of the bench, leaning against the window in a position that couldn't have been good for his back. Al was still awake, sitting quietly across from me and staring out the window at the scenery bathed in the fiery glow of sunset. I sat on the bench with Ed, legs propped up on Al's bench.

There were a few passengers scattered here and there, all of them giving us a wide berth of space. I concluded they were all afraid of Ed. I even told him my thoughts and when he asked why I answered, "Gee, it couldn't be because you screamed bloody murder at the poor baggage handler." "But he called me a midget so small that I couldn't even reach the bag compartment!" "Brother, all he did was offer to help you. Why do you always have to make a scene wherever we go?" "Al, who's side are you on anyway?!" "The bright side, where everyone awesome is roughly six feet tall." As I had said that last line, the boys gave me a weird look. But then recognition crossed Ed's features and he smiled. It had made me smile too because he remembered the song I had sung to him many months ago.

My lips perked up at the memory. As long as I was with the Elric brothers nothing would be boring. They made even long trains rides with uncomfortably hard seats enjoyable.

"What are you thinking about?"

I glanced up to see Al watching me with soft, gray eyes. I smiled at him, "You guys." Al's mouth twitched into a grin. We were totally having a sweet, fluffy bonding moment.

Aaaaand, the moment was ruined when Ed let out a, "_Gsnoooork!_"

Al sweat dropped and I gave his brother a deadpan glare, "He sounds like a pig even in his sleep."

"He's going to catch flies if he keeps his mouth open like that."

Ed snored again, oblivious to us.

My eyes gleamed with mischief, "Think he'd stop snoring if I dropped something down his pie-hole?"

Al chuckled, "Maybe, but you wouldn't want to accidentally choke him."

"Who said anything about 'accidentally'?" I murmured. I poked at the sleeping blonde's cheek. Edward unconsciously swiped at his face, muttered some gibberish, and curled up into the corner of the seat, resuming his snore at a quieter volume. I couldn't help but smile, "Aw, now all he needs is a stuffed bunny and it'd be a Kodak moment." I held my fingers up as if to take a picture and, even though Alphonse had no idea what Kodak was, he got the gist of it and laughed.

"You seem to be doing a lot better," Al commented, gaze shining in my direction.

I turned back to him, pondering his statement. Was I really doing better? Perhaps a little. Ever since that morning two days ago a large chunk of the guilt I felt had slipped away, enabling me to enjoy the brothers' company and the sense of safety they brought me. In that way, yeah, I was better. However, on the inside were tangles of fragile nerves. I'd been hiding it pretty well but whenever I heard a loud noise I'd jump slightly, or when I saw a passing shadow my heart would stop for a moment. If one of the boys weren't within touching distance my breath would catch and the walls would begin to close in.

I'd caused them enough stress for a lifetime. So for now I would smile and prevent the fear from creeping into my eyes. I would do it for them. In the meantime, I'd put all my efforts in focusing on them and dealing with my…trauma on my own. Maybe I could deal with it, maybe I'd get better. Truth was I highly doubted it. This wasn't something you could get over easily, and I was already so weak and exhausted.

At least I wasn't hiding in a corner, rocking back and forth, and crying for my mommy. …I kinda wanted to sometimes though…

"Taylor?"

"Huh?" I focused back on Al. "Oh, yeah. I guess so. One step at a time, ya know?"

He nodded in agreement, "Right! Everything will be okay, Taylor. I believe in you."

_That makes one of us,_ I thought dismally. I smiled a heartfelt smile, showing my appreciation. _Maybe it'll be enough for the both of us…_

After that, I took my sketchbook out of my bag and set out to rediscover my drawing talent. My drawing talent laughed in my face and ran off into a maze somewhere. Let's just say, it was a work in progress.

Speaking of my bag, it was the same one I had carried back when I had traveled with the Elrics, a simple tan bag with a long strap so I could carry it on my shoulder. All of the clothes were still in there too. Unfortunately, most of them were too large, forcing Pinako to show her skills as a seamstress. She sewed them tighter for me and as I put on more weight over time I could let them out to accommodate my body. You'd think I'd be glad to be rid of my muffin top. Not when I could see my ribs poking out from beneath my skin. It looked like you could take some drum sticks and play them like a marimba.

I blinked at the imagery and shook my head. My mind, sometimes _I_ don't even understand it.

As I continued to doodle, Al followed his brother's example and dozed off, snoring softly. I wondered if snoring was an Elric family trait. I wondered about a lot of different things as I drew in a crude tree. Somehow, my thoughts drifted to what Ed and Al had been doing before I showed up: tracking Scar. My memories were fuzzy about many things and Scar was no exception. I could barely recall my own encounter with him. Or was it encounter_s_? Curse my brain, I couldn't remember. What I _did _remember was that somewhere along the way Scar was supposed to stop killing State Alchemists. He was supposed to do…something or other. Again, stupid, faulty brain. So, if Scar was still killing State Alchemists, then what happened? What changed?

_It was me,_ I concluded, my hand pausing in its drawing motion. Something I did along the way must have changed the storyline. Scar had never changed his ways and now Ed and Al were left to pick up the pieces, hopefully without dying in the process. What would become of Scar now? He'd keep killing until he was killed in battle himself. If they managed to capture Scar, the result would be the same. He was a serial killer, they would give him the death penalty, end of story. Was he meant to die in the storyline? I wasn't sure, but even if he did surely he had died a more honorable death than what awaited him. And for that, I felt indescribably guilty. More horrible than that was a question floating in my mind…

_What else have I changed?_

I came out of my thoughts slowly, numbly. Blinking, I tried to see the doodles on the paper. Something was wrong because I could barely see them. I rubbed at my eyes. It did nothing. The page remained obscure. I glanced up and discovered the answer to my problem.

The sun had set.

The night had come.

The darkness was back.

An eerie chill shattered across my skin like tiny ice pricks, causing my body to shudder bone deep. Dark walls began to close in and there suddenly wasn't enough air. I breathed in shallowly but it had no affect, like there was some weight on my chest, pressing me down. A lump formed in my throat, making it impossible to call out for help. The muscles in my limbs tensed, locking into place, and I began to panic. Dully, I could hear the pencil fall from my grasp and the sketchbook slide from my lap onto the floor. I couldn't be concerned with it, as a mantra was running through my head, _Get away, get away, get away._ I had to get away before it got me, before I suffocated, before it killed me.

I wasn't really seeing the train anymore, just the darkness closing in. To my right was a line of black. To my left was a line of black. Behind me, in front of me. Everywhere. It was all around me. I had to get out, get away, run. Run, run, run, _RUN!_

My knees unlocked, allowing me to stand. I lurched forward, only to be tugged back. It felt like something was holding my jacket…like a black, inky hand.

_Oh God…_

Half sitting on the seat, half standing, I pulled at the bottom of my jacket where it appeared to be stuck under something. My hands were shaking too badly and my fingers lacked the strength. My distress grew. I could feel the dark close in, grazing me with its teeth of daggers…

Hands gripped at my wrist and I squeaked, startled. My efforts grew, yet became more clumsy. A hand moved to my face and I flinched. The other hand around my wrists kept me in place, its strength putting my puny efforts to shame. I wasn't going anywhere, and that would have caused me to thrash like a wild animal if I hadn't realized something.

The hand against my cheek… It was warm.

I jerked once in confusion, then stilled. I blinked rapidly, trying to see what was in front of me, holding me in place. The hand at my wrists moved to my face, the hands cupping my cheeks. They were gloved, one warm, the other room temperature. They guided my gaze to see a face. I saw his mouth moving and for the first time heard what he was saying.

_Edward…_

"What's wrong?" he asked, a fierceness in his voice that held a promise of safety, telling me without words he would protect me.

I shot forward into the circle of his arms, shivering as his body heat enveloped me. I buried into the crook of his neck, making sure to position my head so that I could still see around us. I didn't dare close my eyes.

Ed's hands shook my shoulders beseechingly, asking me softly, "Taylor, what's the matter? What is it? Come on, you're scaring me here." His breath blew at tendrils of my hair. He pushed me back gently, trying to look me in the eyes, but I clung even more desperately to him. Being this close to him allowed me to breathe more clearly, kept the walls of black at bay. I was warm here. I was safe here.

"Please," I begged in a small whisper.

His movements halted and I could practically feel him considering the best way to go about handling me. Ed's arms relaxed against me, a hand rubbing across my back comfortingly. I shivered and nuzzled closer to him.

"Alright. Just tell me why you're freaking out. Did someone bother you? Cause if they did I'll knock their lights out!"

Any other time I would have smiled at that. This time, I couldn't. I was too overwhelmed. "N-no, nothing like…that. It's just…I'm…it's d-dark…"

"…okay…" he replied, not really understanding. A moment later, he uttered, "_Oh_…" Then I heard him slap his head as if he couldn't believe he had forgotten something.

"I'm…sorry…" I whimpered. I felt so ashamed, being so weak and timid of the _dark_, of all things.

He groaned, though I think it was mostly at himself then at me. He slipped his fingers under my chin and nudged upward, "Taylor, look at me."

I hesitated, an irrational part of my mind worried that he was mad at me or disappointed. The last thing I wanted to do was make Ed either of those things. Nevertheless, I obeyed, moving back scarcely an inch to look him in the eyes. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't his gentle gaze or the small smile he wore. My shivering stopped for a moment.

"It's not like it's pitch black in here. The stars and moon are out; you can still see me."

"Barely," I responded. His face was darkened by shadows. Was it just me or were they moving? "It's…it's too dark."

Ed must have sensed that me having a panic attack was still a very real possibility, so he changed tactics, "Okay, forget being able to see me. You can _feel_ me, right?"

"Yeah, I can feel you," I answered, not sure what he was getting at.

He glanced away, seeming uncomfortable. It took me a second to realize that he was a little embarrassed. "Well then, you know I'm here. And as long as I'm here you can relax. I won't let anything happen to you." He turned back to me, a grin lighting up his face, "You trust me, don't you?"

On this, I didn't hesitate to answer, "Yes."

"Then you've got nothing to worry about!"

…

…

…

"…Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"…I'm still scared."

He sighed, covering his eyes with a hand and muttering, "I must really suck at this cheering up business. Alright, new plan!"

"…which is?"

He slumped in defeat, "No clue. I just think we need a new one." Edward deliberated for a few seconds, in which time my shaking began to pick up again. Ed noticed and patted my back, "Hey, it's okay. Nothing to be afraid of. What we need is something to get your mind off of it."

"…like a distraction?" I guessed.

"Yeah! A distraction!"

"Okay… What'd you have in mind?"

"What do you find distracting?" he countered.

"At the moment, you're my only distraction."

"Hm, fine by me. What do you want me to do? Although, I should warn you, the passengers may not like it if I start running around the train naked."

A bubble of laughter came out of me, "That's not what I meant, you dingbat!"

He smiled victoriously, "But it made you laugh, so I must be a good distraction already."

I rolled my eyes and settled against him as I had originally been. Edward deserved some credit. Already the darkness seemed farther away, out of reach. The shivering had ceased and my breathing was back to normal.

"What now?" Ed asked, propping his chin on the top of my head. "I'll go ahead and tell you right now that I don't sing, so that's out of the question."

I found myself asking, "Not even for me?"

He chuckled, "Not even for you, Taylor."

I chewed on my lip. Then I decided in a teasing manner, "We'll see. We'll see…" Things were quiet between us, the only sound coming from the speeding train. The noise was surprisingly soothing.

"You do realize I'm not a pillow, right?" Ed asked in amusement. In answer, I slid my arms into the inside of his red coat and wrapped them around his torso. His own arms tightened around me as he added in a low tone, "Not that I mind."

I tried to block out everything else and focus only on Ed: his warmth, the movement of his chest rising and falling with every breath, the faint smell of machine oil mixed with his own scent clinging to his clothes. It wasn't enough though. My mind kept trying to wander, which wasn't a good thing.

"Hey Ed?"

"Hmm?" he hummed.

"Will you play with my hair?"

He didn't answer and I got the feeling that he was staring at me weirdly.

"Please? You're the one who suggested distracting me."

"By playing with your hair?" he asked incredulously.

"…it relaxes me," I defended

He snorted and began running his fingers through the long locks of my hair, "You're making me go soft. People are going to start questioning my manliness because of you."

"What manliness?"

"Very funny," he growled.

"Fine, I give. Edward Elric, you are the most manly guy I've ever seen. That's why you look so handsome in a dress."

He scoffed, "You've never seen me in a dress."

"That's what you think."

His hands stopped in mid stroke, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Heh, you know how where I'm from you guys are just a story?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, there's lots of fans and a lot of them like to draw fan art."

"…go on."

"Many of them like to draw you in a dress."

He choked in shock, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO GIRLY-!"

Covering his mouth with my hand, I cut him off before he could go into a full out rant. "Be quiet! There are other people sleeping on the train."

He hushed, simmering in his anger and muttering obscenities behind my palm.

"If it's any consolation, I think you look really pretty in a dress."

"Not helping," I heard his muffled mumble. He removed my hand and seethed, "And it's not a compliment for a man to be call pretty!"

"There are worse things people could call you," I consoled him.

He averted his gaze to the window, grumbling to himself about how his 'fans' were lucky to be in a different world, otherwise he would…oh my, Ed must have been _really _angry to say that.

I grabbed his hand and replaced it on my head, "Enough talking. Play with my hair."

One golden eyebrow rose, "Seriously? I'm trying to stew in my rage and you want me to play with your hair?"

I shrugged, "It'll get your mind off of the…" Here, I blushed, "What you so colorfully called your adoring fans."

"More like for your own personal gain," he accused with narrowed eyes.

"What can I say? You have magic hands. The things you can do with your fingers are amazing." I went to rest against him again but stopped midway when I realized how wrong my words sounded, "That came off a little more perverted than I intended… Forget I said anything." I hid my face against his shoulder, chiding myself for making things awkward.

"…magic hands, huh?" I could tell by his tone that he was smirking.

"Shut up. You know what I meant."

"If you say so," he replied smugly, resuming his languid strokes across my hair, He gathered the strands in a bundle at the nape of my neck and slid his hand outward until my hair fell back into place. Then he'd run his fingers underneath it and scratch up my scalp, causing me to close my eyes and sigh in approval.

Magic hands indeed.

* * *

(-Ed-)

Hours later found Edward still running his hands through Taylor's hair. He must really have magic hands because the soothing movements caused her to relax little by little, tense muscles unwinding until she finally fell asleep. It'd taken a long while but the result was more than worth it. It was the least he could do for being so thoughtless.

Ed sighed, watching the passing land outside the window, unable to return to sleep's abode. None of them had taken into account Taylor's condition when they decided to leave for Central. They should have stopped in a town close to nightfall rather than force the poor girl to ride through a dark train at night. It was a miracle Ed had managed to calm her down, let alone get her to sleep.

He recalled how terrified she had been. Edward had been deep asleep when he'd felt a hard tug. Startled, he had shot upright to find the tail of Taylor's jacket jammed beneath him as she frantically tried to free it, presumably to run somewhere. The pupils of her eyes had been tiny pinpricks as her terror escalated. They'd been lucky to not have a repeat of her near heart attack days ago.

Absently, he rubbed the cross of his necklace between two fingers, a habit that he'd picked up over the months. Come to think of it, he still needed to give it back to its original owner. He was so used to wearing it, the idea had slipped his mind the past few days. Plus, there had been more important events going on.

_No time like the present_, he thought. He'd do it now while she was sleeping, hopefully avoiding a big scene or any awkwardness on his part. Knowing him, he'd end up blushing like an idiot and mumbling something lame. Sure, she'd notice it on her when she woke up but it'd spare him the trouble of giving it to her, while she was conscious anyway.

Carefully, he slid the necklace off with one hand, the other arm positioned around Taylor to keep her upright. Ed placed the chain circle over her head and down to her neck, pulling her long, red-brown hair out. Taylor never stirred. After the necklace was gone his neck felt strangely bare and cold. He brushed the feeling aside. It was where it belonged now.

"You're a big goof, you know that?" he whispered to her. She slept on, unaware. He smiled affectionately and kissed her forehead. Brushing his fingertips down her face and along her jaw, he continued to whisper, "You don't have to try so hard. Not for us."

Edward may have imagined it, but he thought Taylor's body relaxed more after that. It was a comforting thought.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

"I'm telling you, it's not happening."

"Come on, Brother. It's good for you."

"Why is everyone so hell bent on me drinking that putrid substance?"

"Because maybe if you drank more you'd be-"

"Not another word Alphonse!"

…_what?_ I thought groggily. I could hear people talking. The words just weren't processing in my sleep addled brain. I'd have to open my eyes to see what was going on.

After a few attempts, I managed to pry my eyes open. I blinked furiously to clear my vision.

"Hey, Taylor's awake!" I heard Al say before I saw him. I zeroed in on him sitting across the circular table from me, Edward beside him.

…wait, table?

I scanned around us, finding that we were in the middle of a bustling café with sunlight streaming through the building's large windows.

"…where'd the train go?" I asked, deeply confused. I looked around the large room as if I could spot a wayward train.

Ed barked a laugh while Al finished ordering with the waiter, a young, tall guy with shaggy black hair and a dazzling smile. The waiter kindly made no comment on my lack of awareness and left without a word. I rubbed at my eyes and then opened them again. No such luck; we were still in the café.

"Um, Toto? I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," I mumbled.

"We're in Central," Ed informed me.

"…but we were on a train," I said, still perplexed.

Ed rolled his eyes at me and Al explained, "You were still asleep when we arrived. Since we couldn't get you to wake up we just carried you here."

My brows furrowed, and I'm not sure why it matter but I had the urge to ask, "Which one of you carried me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ed asked cheekily, stuffing his mouth with one of the complimentary breadsticks sitting in the middle of the table.

I gave him a death glare, "I'm gonna say it was Al cause he's nicer."

Al grinned, causing Ed to narrow his eyes at him. Then Ed turned back to me, "You sleep like you're comatose, you know that? And a freakishly long time, to boot."

"I don't sleep a long time."

"It's the middle of the afternoon."

"…oh…"

"Here's your order!" the waiter declared cheerily, making all heads turn to him. He sat our plates down from his tray, all of them covered in burgers and fries. At least the guys had remembered to get me some food while I was busy being 'comatose'.

We ate, chatting amiably throughout the meal. A lot of the chatter was supplied by the boys who bantered back and forth. I was content to sit back and watch the verbal tennis ball go back and forth. Honestly, I was just in a good mood now that the sun was shining. I ate about half of my burger and fries when I had to throw in the towel. This time, it wasn't so much as my small stomach as the food servings were simply enormous. I slid my unfinished plate over to Ed and he happily tossed the food into his black hole- I'm sorry, I meant stomach.

After we ate, paid for the food and tip, and left the café, I looked up and down the street. If I'd had any doubts before then, now they were washed away. We were definitely in Central. I was struck again by how large it was when compared to a small place like Resembool or my hometown, Farmerville. The bustling crowds and large, cramped, brick buildings were somewhat overwhelming. I'd be fine as long as I stuck close to the boys.

"So where do you want to go first?" Al asked me.

"Me?" I asked, befuddled as to why he was asking that question to me.

"You were the one who wanted to come here. This trip is about you. So where do you want to start off first?"

"I-I don't know," I answered truthfully. Now that we were here, the big building of Central Headquarters sounded intimidating. I thought I'd be ready to face everyone there, but the thought of going there and having so many eyes on me… Ehhh, the eyes. It brought back creepy flashbacks. "Maybe we could go to the Hughes'! You know, start off small?"

Ed nodded side to side, "Sounds good to me."

With that decided, we left to the Hughes'. Well, actually it was more of Ed and Al walking there and me following them. I had no idea where I was going and would be completely lost without them. I remembered going to the Hughes' house a few times but I had no clue how to get there.

As we walked I noticed Ed kept glancing at me. I didn't think much of it but then I noticed that he looked as if he were waiting for something. I turned to him, looking at him bemusedly, "Why do you keep looking at me?"

"Ack! Um, no reason!" he laughed, pointedly averting his eyes and walking ahead of us.

I gave Al a questioningly look, "I don't have anything on my face, do I?"

He shook his head, "No." He glanced at his brother, watching him and trying to figure out his strange behavior as well.

Ah well. I guess Ed was just acting weird. Or if something was bothering him he'd tell us when he was ready.

We walked until the point my legs were achy…which wasn't saying much because we had only walked for twenty minutes. I complained along the way and Al cheered me up by saying that exercise would help build up my muscles. I wanted to glare at him so badly but he was being so darn sincere I just couldn't bring myself to.

When we reached the house I gazed upon it, remembering previous visits. The building hadn't changed one bit. It surprised me at the relief I felt, as if I had been afraid things had changed. At any rate, I shouldn't be worried about the house. I should be worried about the occupants I'd be seeing within seconds.

Ed marched right up to the front door and knocked. I heard a voice from inside, probably saying that they were coming. I must have looked nervous cause Al slipped his hand in mine and squeezed it reassuringly. The gesture was appreciated, but barely alleviated my anxiety.

The door opened and Gracia Hughes stood in the doorway. She smiled pleasantly when she saw the guys. When her gaze stopped on me, the smile faltered. She glanced to the brothers as if asking for confirmation that what she was seeing was real.

"We were in the neighborhood so we thought we'd drop by," Ed explained nonchalantly, giving Gracia a small smile that spoke more than words.

The woman turned back to me slowly. Her eyes bore into mine for the longest time. And then…she smiled. She bridged the gap between us and hugged me securely, "Welcome back."

* * *

**Haha, I love torturing myself! Will things ever look up for LeFay? ...Knowing me, probably not. Hahaha! XD**

**So Taylor was forced to face her worst fear. If you thought the angst was over, you'd be wrong. Taylor spent five months trapped in total darkness, sensory deprived, all alone except for the freaky creatures of the gate. Of course she'd be traumatized and it's not going to be easy for her to get over. Just because she's with Ed and Al now and things are smoother between them all, she's not suddenly gonna get over it. It's funny though because I intended for her freak out scene to be a little more darker, but then there was fluff and funny between her and Ed. Their fault, not mine.**

**The song Taylor is humming on the train is Every Night, by Imagine Dragons.**

**Thanks for this chapter goes to our favorite ginger who I would be completely lost without. Thank you Taylor for always coming through when my inner Taylor goes awol on me. ^_^**

* * *

**OMAKE**

Ed patted my back, "Hey, it's okay. Nothing to be afraid of. What we need is something to get your mind off of it."

"…like a distraction?" Taylor guessed.

"Yeah! A distraction!"

"Okay… What'd you have in mind?"

"Hmmmm…" a twinkle entered his eyes as a plan formed in his mind. "Sit tight for a minute," he told Taylor, extracting himself from the ginger and getting up to walk down the aisle of the train. Taylor watched dumbfounded as a series of lights sprung on down the length of the aisle, lighting it up like a runway. When Edward started to strut down the aisle the other passengers hopped up with cameras and began flashing pictures. What surprised Taylor even more was when Al woke up and began doing the same thing, only he was shouting things like, "Work it!" as he took pictures.

Ed slid out of his trench coat and strutted back up the aisle, tossing the red material over his shoulder in a fashionable way as he posed for the cameras. Another walk down the aisle and he did a different pose, letting his hair out of its ponytail to let it cascade over his shoulders. He smirked as the crowd went wild.

"It figures Edward would be a great male model," Taylor rolled her eyes. Then she enacted the phrase 'if you can't beat them, join them' by whipping out a camera herself and joining the frenzy of flashing lights.

* * *

**Omake is inspired by a conversation me and Taylor had. I couldn't resist putting it in. XD**

**Ragan: Help! Let me out of here!**

**Taylor: LeFay...what was that?**

**LeFay: Oh, I trapped Ragan in the review box.**

**Taylor: O_O ...why?**

**LeFay: He said he wanted to be in the author's note. I just...put him in a box while I was at it. XD**

**Ragan: *sobs* It's dark in here!**

**Taylor: T_T LeFay...**

**LeFay: Fine, fine! Spoil all of my fun. I'll let him out...depending on the reviews.**

**Ragan: What's that supposed to mean?!**

**LeFay: Every review will go towards Ragan's release fund. I'll be generous and make the amount...200 reviews.**

**Ragan: 200?!**

**LeFay: Yes. If _Reprieve_ gets 200 hundred more reviews I'll let you out. Until then, you're stuck in there.**

**Ragan: This box doesn't even have air holes! How am I gonna last that long?!**

**LeFay: Ye have little faith in my readers! Besides, you brought this on yourself.**

**Taylor: Remember kids, be careful what you wish for.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the delay guys, but here it is! This chapter...Oh my God, this chapter...I don't think I've ever had writer's block so bad. But something good came out of my writer's block. I started writing a drabble series (just trying to work through the block ya know). Check it out after this chapter, it's called _Just A Little Longer_. Also, I've got another story up (as if I didn't need another one) and it's called _Along For the Ride_.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Screw Optimism**

(-Taylor-)

"It's good to be back," I replied as Gracia and I separated.

She smiled fondly at me, trace amounts of moisture making her eyes shine. Gracia threw Ed and Al faux accusing glances, "Just what have you boys been up to this time?"

Edward shrugged, that cheeky smile plastered on his face, "The usual. You know us."

She laughed, her short, sandy hair moving slightly as she shook her head. Gracia closed her eyes for a moment and muttered, "Maes is going to have a field day when he gets home."

Huh, that must mean Hughes was still at work at HQ. Part of me was relieved that I had a little more time before facing him. I had no idea what I'd say to the man, or what he'd say to me. Couldn't exactly start the conversation out with, "Gee, I'm so glad you woke up from your coma! Which, by the way, was my fault in the first place. Happy times, happy times…"

"No sense standing out here. Let's head inside," Gracia announced and ushered us all in. I entered the building after her, a little more relaxed than before. Gracia seemed more than happy to see me again. I wondered if little Elysia remembered me.

"Elysia! Come downstairs, Honey. We've got company," Gracia called up the stairs as we passed them on our way to the kitchen. We heard a faint, "Coming!" yelled from upstairs. Before we could be seated at the kitchen table, a thunder of footsteps sounded as a small, cute child dashed into the kitchen. Elysia squealed when she saw the boys.

"Big Brothers!" she cried, leaping at the closest one.

"ACK!" Ed grunted comically as he toppled to the floor by the mini whirlwind. Lying on his back, Edward groaned, "Nice to see you too, Elysia."

Not being caught by surprise like his brother, Alphonse was prepared when Elysia launched herself to her next victim. Al laughed at her antics and sat her back to her feet, placing a hand on her head as he gasped with exaggerated surprise, "Wow, Elysia! You've gotten taller since the last time I saw you."

"Really?!" her large green eyes brightened with joy.

"Uh-huh," Al nodded with a happy smile.

"No, it's alright. I'll help myself up," Ed grumbled, picking himself up off the floor and brushing himself off. "Miss Hughes, you've got to stop giving the kid so much sugar."

The woman's lips quirked up as she busied herself by making glasses of iced tea for everyone, "She gets all of her energy from her father. You'll have to take that up with him."

Elysia's bubbly exterior transformed into shyness as she spotted me. She tugged on the blue sleeve of Al's trench coat, her eyes locked on my form. Al noticed why she had become so quiet. He crouched down to her level, giving her a warm smile, "Elysia, this is our friend Taylor. You remember her, don't you?"

The girl looked from the congenial boy and back to me a few times. Her brows furrowed, an adorable pout forming on her lips as she gazed at me questioningly. Although Elysia had grown a couple of inches and her sandy pigtails were longer now, she was just as cute as ever.

"We've…met?" she asked uncertainly.

I glanced up at Ed, seeing him watch the scene. He nodded his head in Elysia's direction as if to say, "Well, go ahead already." I turned back to the girl, her mind obviously trying to place my face in her memory. I ceased wringing my hands (not even aware I had been doing so in the first place) and gave her a nervous smile. Stepping forward, I bent down like Al, "Yeah, we've met. Don't you remember me? You watched me draw pretty pictures."

Her face lit up immediately. She stared at me in wonder and began jumping up and down, "I remember! I remember!" Then she completely blind sided me when she barreled into me to give me a hug. Dang, but the girl was _strong_ for a three-year-old. Or was she four now?

"Call me crazy, but I think she remembers me," I choked out to the others, making them grin.

Elysia pulled back, excitedly asking me, "Where'd you go? Did you come back to draw me more pictures?"

I sweat dropped, "Heh, let's just say I had to go away for awhile. And I'm not as good at drawing…but we can try."

"Really?!" she beamed at me.

"Sure. In fact, why don't I show you all the cool things I've drawn in that sketchbook your momma gave me."

"Yay!" she cheered, tugging me over to the table so we could sit down. She climbed into a chair at the end, patting the space next to her eagerly.

"Elysia, at least give the poor girl a few minutes. They just got here for goodness sakes," her mother reprimanded softly.

"It's all good," I assured her, sitting down and pulling the sketchbook from my bag and sliding it between me and the hyper girl. The boys joined us as Elysia opened to the first page, giggling as she told me that she remembered watching me draw the picture of a kitty-eared Edward sitting on a doggy-eared Mustang in triumph.

"So did you three just get to Central?" Gracia asked us, sitting out drinks on the table and sitting across from us with her own glass. I took my gratefully, feeling parched from the walk over here.

"Yes ma'am. We were in Resembool for a few days," Al answered her.

She nodded, "I see. I suppose you haven't decided where you'll be staying then. That settles it; you three should stay here while you're in Central."

"You sure? We don't want to impose."

"It's no trouble. Besides, we wouldn't have it any other way, right Elysia?"

"Uh-huh!" Elysia chirped. She turned the page to the one of the girl in the tower, very reminiscent of Rapunzel. The little girl gasped and pushed the picture towards her mom, "Mommy! Look at this!"

"That's beautiful," Gracia agreed, smiling at the drawing. She looked to me, smile still in place, "I'm glad you've put the tablet to good use."

I felt my cheeks heat up some at the compliment, squirming in my seat, "Thank you… Um, Mrs. Hughes?"

"Yes?"

I fidgeted again, unable to look up at her, "About the last time I was here…I'm sorry about up and leaving like that. It was rude of me after all the kindness you'd shown me. I mean, you let me stay here. The least I could have done was say goodbye or-"

"Taylor," she cut into my rambling, patting my hand. "It's alright, I understand why you did it. There's no need to apologize." An amused look entered her soft features, "In fact, I expect nothing less of someone who hangs out with the Elric brothers."

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Ed shouted, glaring over his glass of half-drunken tea.

Gracia sent me a conspiratorial wink, turning to Ed and saying in a false, abashed tone, "I'm sorry Edward, but you boys do have quite a reputation."

"Or Hughes just likes to over exaggerate things," he defended, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair sulkily. "I'm sure he's told you all sorts of things."

"Perhaps," she acquiesced with barely concealed delight.

Elysia drew my attention from the entertaining conversation, pointing at a couple of mermaids and asking me why the girls were part fish. I laughed and told her they were called mermaids.

"What's a mur-made?" she sounded out the word carefully. When she said it correctly, she nodded, proud of herself for the accomplishment.

"They're mythical sea creatures who have the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish, like that," I gestured to the drawing of multiple mermaids swimming around on the page. "They like to swim in the ocean looking for shiny treasures and they'll sit on rocks and comb out their long hair while they sing. They're supposed to have the most beautiful singing voice, and when they sing, their voices are like a siren's call to unsuspecting sailors and fishermen to lure them out."

"Why would they do that?" Al asked curiously. I glanced up to see him, Ed, and Gracia listening to my explanation absorbedly. Hm, I guess mermaids weren't a popular concept in Amestris because none of them appeared to have heard about them before now.

I shrugged, "I'm not sure exactly. Some tales say they drown the fishermen."

"D-drown them?" Alphonse stuttered, appalled. "But why?"

"Maybe they don't like people who kill their fellow fishy friends. But in other tales they say the mermaids either grant them boons or make them their lovers."

With a slight blush rising in his face, Ed looked at the drawings and asked critically, "How exactly…would that…"

"Be possible?" I laughed. "Some say that mermaids can turn their tails into human legs. I guess they could choose to live as regular humans if they wanted to."

Elysia gasped, "Taylor, are _you_ a mermaid?"

I blinked at her, bewildered by the absurd notion, "What would give you _that_ idea?"

She grinned and tugged at a lock of my hair, "Because you've got long hair!"

I snorted, "Sorry Elysia, not everyone with long hair is a mermaid. Plus, I don't have a fish tail."

"But you just said they could have legs! You could be a mermaid in dis…disg…"

"Disguise," her mother helped her.

"Yeah! Disguise!"

Then of course Ed had to chime in, arching one brow as he smirked, "Lured any unsuspecting fishermen lately?"

Al shook his head, "The things you learn about a person."

"I never would have suspected…" Gracia trailed off, a bemused sparkle in her eyes.

"Hey! Why's everyone ganging up on me?!" I cried, not liking this one bit.

They laughed at me and Ed said, "Sorry Taylor, we didn't mean to upset you. Please don't drown us!"

"I'm not a mermaid! I wouldn't drown you! I'd sooner stab you with a spoon!"

"A spoon? Why a spoon?" he asked, trying hard to hold back his laughter.

"Because it's dull! It'll hurt more, you twit!" I yelled in a British accent.

Edward dissolved into guffaws as everyone else joined in at my expense. I sighed and slumped forward, my forehead hitting the wood of the table with a dull _thunk_. I wanted to bang my head harder when Elysia leaned in and whispered gravely, "Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me."

With my chin on the table surface, I looked at my glass of tea and grumbled, "I'm gonna need something stronger than tea."

"How about sea water?" Ed asked, cracking up again.

I glared at him threateningly, "I know where you sleep at night." He gave me a funny look and cocked his head to the side. I pointed two fingers at my eyes and then at him, repeating the universal 'I'm-watching-you' gesture a couple more times. Unashamed, Ed grinned and sent me a wink. My stomach performed a weird flop at the look he was giving me. I ignored it as I tried to ignore everyone else as well.

For the rest of the afternoon I was the resident Ariel. Fishermen beware… We lingered in the kitchen until Gracia declared it time to get started on supper and shooed us 'kids' into the living room. Edward scooped Elysia up onto his shoulders and zoomed into the other room, leaving peals of laughter in their wake. I hesitated, watching Gracia pull out several ingredients. It did not escape my notice that she hadn't asked once about my return. Wasn't she curious? Probably, and yet she was respectful enough to give me my space about it. It warmed my heart while simultaneously giving me a twinge of guilt. She had every right to ask me. I would tell her, just not at the moment. I'd wait until Hughes returned and tell the both of them. That way I wouldn't have to say it twice.

"You coming?" Al asked, nudging me with his elbow.

I nodded and let him pull me into the living room where Ed was showing off his alchemy by transmuting Elysia's wooden, building blocks into several things: a tower with a girl in it (like from my drawing), a majestic horse reared back on its hind legs, and the suit of armor Al previously embodied. As I saw that last figure, I glanced over at Alphonse, chewing my lip in thought. I didn't want to touch on a sore topic, but the curiosity burned inside me.

"What happened to it?" I asked quietly, so quietly that the pair playing across from us on the floor had no hope of hearing me.

Al heard just fine, surprising me by the fond smile and how he knew right away what I was talking about. "It disappeared."

"…disappeared?"

"Yeah," he affirmed, speaking just as softly as I. "After you left, everything went dark. Then I woke up in my own body. The armor wasn't anywhere at all, so I assume it was deconstructed in the process of returning my body." Then he gave a short chuckle, "It's a shame. I kind of wanted to keep it."

"That's a little creepy, ya know."

"Perhaps," he laughed again. "It's funny, when I told Brother this he said the same thing."

I shrugged, both of us continuing to watch the two playing on the floor, their backs to us and more or less oblivious to our presence. Elysia watched Ed in childish wonder. It made me smile. "Maybe it's a sign. You've got to admit that it'd be somewhat creepy…but I suppose I can see the sentimental value something like that would hold. I don't know if I'd throw away something like that."

A devious smirk tugged up Al's lips, a look not unlike his brother's. "That's the same reason why I always kept this," he told me, fishing something out of his pocket. What laid in his hand made me gasp in astonishment.

"You kept it?" I squeaked, reaching out to caress the tiny, orange kitty figurine that sat in the palm of his hand. It was the same figurine I had given Al so many months ago. And he had kept it!

"Of course. It was the second best gift you ever gave me."

I frowned, uncertain of what he meant. "What was the first best gift I gave you?"

He stared at me as if it were obvious, "My body. You gave me my life back, Taylor. That's why I couldn't get rid of this present." He gestured to the kitty in his hand. As he went on, he replaced the figurine into the safety of his pants pocket, "I kept it with me so I could always remember you."

"Stop it," I pleaded, covering my face with a hand. "You're gonna make me cry."

He ruffled my hair and said in a good-natured voice, "I'm just being honest. It's the same reason Ed kept this." As he said the word 'this' I felt him tug at something around my neck. I glanced down to see an object I had forgotten all about.

"My…necklace," I murmured, reaching down to take the metal, flamel cross from Al's hand.

He seemed taken aback, "You mean, you didn't know?"

I shook my head, my fingers tracing over the stains of black and red on the cross's surface, "He must have put it on me when I was sleeping."

"Huh…I guess that solves that."

I gave him a questioning look but our attentions were called by one Edward Elric.

"Are you two gonna just stand there or are you gonna join in on the fun?" he asked, trying to sound grumpy and failing.

"I'm in," Al responded cheerfully, heading over to sit with them on the floor.

"Yeah, me too." I gave a heartfelt smile, my hand grazing over the wings of the cross. Ed's eyes caught the movement and, when he saw where my hand was, pink tinged his cheeks and he quickly turned back to the blocks. He had been caught and he so knew it. I'd wait until a better time to question him about it, when I could get a moment alone with him. He'd be embarrassed enough without me bringing it up in front of other people, though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to hug him right _now_.

Elysia and I watched as the brothers put on quite a show for us. As would be expected, the boys made it into a contest, both of them attempting to one-up the other with a bigger and better creation. They looked to us girls for confirmation and we fell into our role of judges accordingly. Al probably would have won from the miniature replica of Central command center he created, which you could even look into windows and see rooms and open doors. It was very impressive… Then Ed got jealous and blew it up with a mini explosion. As tiny wooden blocks rained harmlessly around us, all eyes fell on the blonde. He whistled a tune and looked away, feigning innocence. The expression on Al's face was priceless as he gave his brother a dull glare with narrowed, stormy eyes. In a swift, smooth motion, he plucked up one of the wooden blocks and flicked it at Ed's head, hitting him on the temple.

Edward's eyes slid to peek at Al, one of them twitching violently. Al grinned viciously, "Don't give me that look, Brother. You started it."

"And I'll be the one to end it too," he replied decisively and pounced on the younger boy. They began rolling around wrestling on the floor while Elysia watched with amused giggles and I face palmed.

"Ow! Hey, no biting!"

"Then surrender!"

"Never! I haven't lost once against you yet and I'm not about to start now!"

"We'll see about that!"

"Be careful not to break anything!" Gracia called from the kitchen, overhearing the boys' tussle and not sounding too concerned.

"Yay!" Elysia cheered.

I shook my head at the nonsense, "Really guys? Really?" They continued to roll around on the floor, paying no mind to my words. "C'mon, knock it off before you actually hurt each other." Again, no reaction. "Guys? Guys, don't make me come over there." Still nothing. Tired of being ignored, I huffed, "Alright, that's it."

I stood up and marched over to where Al was lying on Ed's back, pinning him in a headlock. Not sparing a moment, I flopped onto Al's back and stayed there. Al let go from my sudden weight and Ed made an "Oof!" sound.

"Um…what are you doing?" Al asked uncertainly as I made no move to get up.

"What do you think? It's peanut butter jelly time!"

"Say what?" Ed asked from the bottom.

That's when Elysia gave a happy shout and jumped onto my back.

"Ack! Can't breathe!" Ed cried out from all the weight on him. "Get off me, would ya!"

"Not until you boys learn to behave," I reprimanded them. "And since that'll never happen we're gonna be stuck here for a while doing our sorry impersonation of a sandwich."

"A pretty sandwich," Elysia interceded.

"Okay, a pretty sandwich. But still a sandwich."

Edward drummed his fingers across the floor and asked moodily, "Al?"

"I think we've been soundly beaten, Brother."

And that's how Hughes found us.

My breath caught as my stomach plummeted through the floor. It was really him. Hughes was…_okay_. Of course, I knew that the others wouldn't have lied about it. Elysia and Gracia wouldn't have been so cheerful otherwise. But there was just something about seeing it with your own eyes, to have the undeniable proof set before you. And here he was, walking around in his issued military uniform, goofy smile lighting up his face as he became distracted by his daughter barreling herself at him. I watched as he spun her around and held her small body to him, rubbing his cheek against hers and cooing in delight. Elysia giggled and complained about his beard being itchy. They looked so happy.

For a moment, a swell of pride warmed me. It had really worked. Despite everything, _I_ had given them this. _I _had saved Hughes from death and saw to it that his soul be returned to him so he could awaken from his coma. _I _had kept this wonderful family together. And it felt so amazing that words couldn't even describe it.

And just as quickly that feeling whooshed out of me, leaving me cold and jittery with nerves. Hughes had sat Elysia back down and turned to the three of us. The huge grin he wore was still in place as he began, "Well if it isn't the…Elric…brothers…" As he spoke, his words trailed off when his gaze fell on me. Eyes squinted briefly, his memory seeking to place me almost like the way Elysia had done earlier today. The man's shoulders tensed and his piercing, green eyes bored holes into my figure once he realized exactly who I was. His mouth hung open slightly, failing to form words.

"Daddy! Sissy came back!" Elysia chirped perkily, tugging on his hand in excitement.

He swallowed and managed to say, "I…see that…"

Timidly, I looked away from his penetrating stare and climbed off of the boys. They sat up, unsure how to go about fixing the silence that had fallen on the room. Poor Elysia was looking at everyone, confused by what was wrong and unsure whether to say anything. I was too busy watching her that I didn't notice Ed had gotten up until I heard him crack his back. He grimaced and rubbed at his spine with one hand, the other he offered to me. I grasped it, holding on even after I was fully standing. He squeezed my hand, promising me in that little gesture that it'd all be okay.

Al spared us from the growing awkwardness, facing in Hughes direction, "Hello Mr. Hughes. It's good to see you."

Hughes blinked, switching his gaze to the sandy haired, congenial boy. Some of the tension slipped from him, his regular demeanor returning, "You too, Alphonse. Can't say I was expecting _this_ when I came home. You boys are full of surprises." His eyes slid back to me, scanning me up and down while wearing a subdued, shocked expression.

Okay, this was it. I had just appeared out of the blue (to Hughes' perspective anyway) and the first words I said would leave a lasting impression. I needed to say something awe-inspiring! I needed to say something totally epic!

"Hi."

My inner self began to bang her head against a wall. Repeatedly. So much for being epic. And to add insult to injury I could barely make eye contact with the guy. I just sort of stood there, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Long time, no see," I added as a pathetic afterthought.

Yeah, I was gonna shut up now.

Hughes nodded slowly, "That's an understatement."

Luckily, Gracia chose that time to enter the room. She assessed the situation and took action, swooping in like a hawk who had been waiting in the wings all along to come to the rescue. Ca-caw.

…the places my mind took me.

Gracia placed a hand on her husband's shoulder, catching his attention. He glanced over to her and his brows rose, "Did you have something to do with this?"

She laughed elegantly and replied playfully, "Yes Dear, I've had this planned for quite some time."

A smile met his lips, "You devious woman you."

"That's why you married me," she smiled back at him. Then she focused on her daughter, "Elysia, why don't you come help Mommy finish dinner? I'm sure Daddy has some catching up to do with everyone."

The child agreed easily enough and followed her mother into the kitchen, albeit still confused by the strained atmosphere. As soon as they left, the tension multiplied.

"Definitely have some catching up to do," Hughes murmured to himself in agreement. He faced the three of us, face unreadable. To my left, Al's brows pinched with worry. In complete contrast, Ed displayed nothing but tranquility. It baffled me because, for one, it was an uncommon emotion for him and for two, how could he be so calm in this situation?! I for one was freaking out on the inside. Did he really have no qualms about this? Did he think this would blow over so easily? I think he truly believed it, and I wanted to believe it too, however… If you saw this from my perspective you'd see why I was scared.

I may have saved Hughes, but it was also my stupidity that had forced him into a coma. _I_ had been the one that knew what I was up against and yet I went in alone on a suicide mission. _I _had failed to keep him safe. _I_ had let his soul be taken by Truth where it practically held it as hostage for me to play the stupid game. Just because he was here now, walking, talking, and alive…it didn't erase my transgressions. In fact, you could almost say that I was obligated to win the game and return his soul. It had been my fault he had wound up in that predicament. It had been my responsibility to make things right. If that line of thought was continued…did that make Ed and Al obligations too?

My stomach twisted, the idea making me sick. I didn't want to think about that. I knew in my heart that everything I did was out of love and compassion. Hopefully, they would never see it differently. Because if they did, that would break me.

Now I had to face Hughes and learn if he thought of me that way, or worse…blamed me. Whatever he decided, I would accept it. I deserved it.

During all of that mental processing, Hughes had been doing his own thinking. Forming some conclusion, he scratched his head and sighed in defeat, "I don't get it."

Ed frowned, the first negative sign from him, "Don't get what?"

"After everyone hounded you about what happened, and after all the trouble you two went to keeping it all on the down low, you show up with Taylor like nothing happened? What gives guys? Why'd you suddenly bring her out of hiding? And why'd you hide her in the first place?"

"You're reading too much into things, Hughes. Like usual," Ed rolled his eyes. "We weren't hiding Taylor."

"Oh contraire, the little missy standing beside you makes me think otherwise," he replied in a sing-song tone.

"Brother's right. We weren't hiding her. She only got back about a week ago."

Used to, I would have piped up by now, not liking the fact everyone was talking around me. That still held true, minus the speaking part. I was content to listen in silence, seeing as how I doubted I could find the words to speak.

Hughes' eyes sharpened, "Back from…that other world?"

My eyes bulged in alarm, swiftly seeking the boys' reactions. Neither showed any form of surprise, leading me to believe that they had either informed Hughes of my origins or had known Hughes had figured it out by some other means.

Hughes noticed my reaction and waved it away with a short chuckle, "Yeah, I know all about that. Mustang told me, after I managed to get a few drinks in him of course. I thought it was the alcohol talking at first, but he was dead serious."

"And you accepted it? Just like that?" I found myself asking in a low voice.

"Yep! Alchemy gates, other worlds… I may not understand how it works because I'm not in the freak brigade but if it truly exists then there's no way I can refute it."

Edward leveled a deadpan look at him, "Alchemists are not a freak brigade."

"The ones I know are," he grinned jovially. "At any rate, there were only two plausible reasons for why Taylor never returned with you guys. One, she went back to her world. Or two, she died. Everyone thought the latter, what with the way you two were moping." Here, Ed grumbled under his breath that he was _not_ moping. "Obviously, we were wrong, since here you stand Taylor."

"No, you were right," I breathed out, voice barely audible.

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you _are_ alive."

I smiled a bittersweet smile, thinking about how I'd died a few times before. I wondered what he'd say if I told him that. Rather than do that, I said, "It doesn't change the fact that I died. I think I was dead anyway. Or at the very least, I wasn't alive."

"You're not making a whole lot of sense."

"I know," I nodded. "I'm still trying to…come to terms with it. I didn't go home, nor did I stay here. The gate…it…" I struggled for the words.

Al spared me by telling him, "Taylor preformed human transmutation to bring Ed back to life and to return my body to me. The gate consumed her as the price."

A range of emotions flitted behind the square rims of his glasses, all of them laced with awe. His jaw clenched and he stood immobile for several seconds. Then he gestured to us, "Alright, I'm all ears." His tone informed us that we had his full attention.

Here, I let the boys tell him. It wasn't a long explanation, just one that held the weight of much hardship. Their words passed in a blur. I didn't tune them out exactly, just let them flow around me without touching me. I knew it all by heart anyway. Hell, I lived it.

"I see why you never said anything," Hughes told the guys, nodding to himself. He stared straight at me and spoke with regret and sorrow, "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that Taylor."

He was…sorry? For me? How could… No, I couldn't even process it in my mind. Didn't he realize who he was talking to? Was he not aware of what I had done?

"What…" I began, but failed when all eyes rested on me. I gulped nervously and tried again, "What else did…Mustang tell you?"

Hughes crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall near the doorway to the entrance hall. His expression was severe as he spoke, "I assume you're referring to what happened to me." It wasn't a question, although I gave a stiff nod. "Honestly, it gives me the creeps to know that my soul was in some powerful gate of alchemy. And it's made all the more eerier by the fact that I can't remember. Though, I guess Alphonse can relate."

Al agreed silently. His body was in the gate for a time, Hughes soul was as well, and neither retained memory of it. The last was something I was extremely grateful for. The gate was not a place you wanted to remember.

"On the outside, it appeared that I was in a coma when in truth my body had lost its soul. Roy told me the fate of my soul rested on you and whether you won some cosmic game." And the next part that came completely baffled me. He hopped over to me, planted a hand on my shoulder, and grinned, "Obviously it all turned out okay! Seeing as I'm here and whatnot. I have you to thank for returning me to my beautiful wife and daughter. How can I ever repay you? Oh! I know! How about a lifetime supply of pictures of Elysia! You have to agree that nothing can surpass her cuteness! She's so-"

"_What's wrong with you?!_" the words exploded in a screech.

"Uh…pardon?"

I couldn't take it anymore. All of my thoughts just came spilling out in one furious rush, "Don't _thank _me! How could you even consider _thanking_ me for _that_?! Did you forget that it was _me_ who put you in that coma in the first place? _I _was the one who lost your soul. I was so weak and _stupid_. And it nearly cost you everything! You should hate me! If it wasn't for me you'd be-"

"Dead."

My tear filled eyes widened, my mouth suddenly becoming dry as a large hand rested comfortingly on my head.

Hughes lips quirked up as he gazed down at me gently, "I would have bled to death that night if you hadn't have saved me. Let's not forget that before that, you stopped a homunculus from shooting me at point blank range, which would surely have killed me. And then you saw to it that I made it back to my family. I owe you all the thanks in the world."

"No," I whimpered, clamping my eyes closed in an attempt to shut him out and keep the angry tears inside.

"Yes. You may say you're weak but all I see is a strong willed girl with too much weight on her shoulders. And if I'm right, a lot of that burden comes from your own stubbornness. It's not that you want me to hate you, it's that you hate yourself for your own mistakes."

A short, inaudible gasp escaped my lips and my eyelids lifted, gaze focusing on nothing. My hand loosened its death grip on Ed's hand, something I hadn't been aware of in the first place, nor had he attempted to let go.

The hand on my head ruffled my hair, "You're too hard on yourself kiddo. You're a good person and deserve a lot more than you think. You've just got to learn to accept that." Then he spun around with a grin, heading towards the kitchen, "Now let's go see what's for dinner! I'm starved and I swear I can smell Gracia's lasagna."

"Hughes."

He paused and looked back over his shoulder, humming in acknowledgement. His face was still so…so damn cheerful. And his words pierced me to the core more than I would admit but I had to say something. I couldn't thank him. No, that would imply that I forgave myself, which wasn't an easy thing to do. One little lecture couldn't fully convince me. It did however soothe some of the tremors in my heart, the ones that threatened to shatter it if they ever became too much for me to handle.

So, not wanting to thank nor belittle his words, I settled for a universal fact known by all. "…you're so weird."

The keen soldier saw my statement for what it was and happily accepted it. A bright set of teeth flashed and then he was gone from the room.

I wiped self-consciously at my face, the boys watching over me worriedly. It was only just dawning on them how much I blamed myself for the bad things that happened. I suppose that meant I had been doing a good job at hiding it. If I had let them know then they would have given me those sad looks…kinda like the ones they were giving me right then.

Shrugging them off, I suggested, "Let's just go eat." They had no chance to refuse me. I grabbed them both and dragged them in the direction Hughes had went.

In conclusion, going to the Hughes' house had went…relatively smoothly. That probably meant that tomorrow when we went to visit the command center things would be more hectic. Knowing Mustang and his crew, they'd all give us a hard time over my return. Screw optimism, I had a bad feeling.

And I wasn't proven wrong either.

* * *

**I blame Hughes for my writer's block. Every single time he was about to enter the story, my mind just went completely blank, so I'd push it away and say, "okay, I'll just keep writing and bring him in in a little bit," and when he finally came in I was fighting tooth and nail to get all of this out. Not sure how I did. It's probably lacking but I'm just so glad it's over with.**

**The chapter title was inspired by Taylor who tells me many times how I make her too optimistic. I'm trying to bring in her more negative and doubting side so that's what inspired her little outburst with Hughes.**

**Thanks for this chapter goes to my lil sis, YourSecretStalker. Thanks for talking it out with me, but sorry, no random trains running people over, you sadistic girl you. XP**

**With all of that aside, let's check in on Ragan. How's it going in there buddy?**

**Ragan: Oh, it's great!**

**LeFay: Dude, you're in a box. How great can it be?**

**Ragan: There's a plasma screen in here so I'm just chilling. There's even a mini fridge in here!**

**LeFay: ...well, that plan kinda backfired on me.**

**Ragan: I still want out of here. T_T**

**LeFay: AND THE PLAN IS BACK ON! MWHAHAHA!**

**Ragan: How much longer do I have to stay in here?**

**LeFay: Well, we started this when the review count was...484 I believe. And now it's like freaking 550. So until 684.**

**Ragan: Huh, at this rate I'll be free soon.**

**LeFay: But some of the reviewers think that we'll all be safer if we leave you in the box. I'm inclined to agree.**

**Ragan: ...at 684, I'm coming for all of you. You'll be first, LeFay.**

**LeFay: Nu-uh! I've got ginger power! Right Taylor?**

**Taylor: I'm not getting involved in this. You're on your own. *walks away***

**LeFay: ...when in doubt, look to the llama.**

**Llama: Bleeeeh!**

**LeFay: I knew I could count on you! *hugs llama***


	12. Chapter 12

**Um...at least it's only like a day late this time? Heh, my bad. I've been busy lately, getting my wisdom teeth removed, hurrying to finish work for my classes, and then getting ready for the new quarter. I'll probably be taking one less class this coming quarter, which means more free time for me...to sleep. XD**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Wake Up Call**

(-Taylor-)

"You're so lucky," I whispered softly, gazing down at a sleeping Elysia. Last night, she had insisted that I tell her a bed time story. Me thinking it would be as easy as pie, thought, _Okay, I can come up with something and she'll be out like a light, just like other kids._ …Elysia was not like other kids, nor was getting her to sleep an easy feat. It might have been because of the day's excitement, but I figured her high levels of energy were more to blame. I stayed in her room, laying on her light pink duvet, telling her the story of The Little Mermaid for what felt like half the night. She had loved all the mermaid talk earlier and it seemed like the perfect subject. But then she just kept _asking_ what happened next and by the time she fell asleep, I had nearly finished the story of Ariel's daughter. Yes, I've seen the movies. Don't judge me, I loved those movies growing up and still do. Good thing I had watched them so many times too, otherwise I'd have forgotten them with everything that had happened.

By the time I had finished my story, everyone else in the house had gone to bed and were in dreamland. There'd be no point waking them up, so I crept back to Elysia's room. I would have gone and hung out in the living room, maybe slept on the couch, but it was…dark downstairs….yeah… And Elysia's room had a nightlight. Gotta love kids. Elysia wouldn't mind, so I stayed in there with her, even managing to doze off for quite awhile. In the early hours of morning I had woken up with a start, fearing going back to sleep. Now I simply laid there, watching over Elysia and waiting for everyone to get up while thinking how lucky Elysia was.

Elysia was safe and sound in her home with her loving parents. She had no worries, no doubts, and knew little of pain. She believed mermaids were real and that everyone was good. The horrors of the world were a distant nightmare hiding underneath someone else's bed and if they dared to come near her, her daddy would always be there to protect her. She lived in this innocent bubble and, although she would have to meet the cruel face of reality someday, for now she was happy and carefree.

Yes, Elysia was a lucky child. I prayed to God that she could live like this as long as possible.

When the first rays of sunlight peeked through the curtain, I crawled to the end of the bed to see the new day come alive. As I watched, I contemplated how today would turn out. That pessimistic impression hadn't left me. In fact, it had worsened and nothing I did or thought about could shake it off. That sensation that never left me, that something was _wrong_, reacted to this and practically shined a warning sign in my face. Though, what it was warning against I hadn't the slightest clue.

Maybe it wasn't too late to find a nice, large rock to cower under. Surely Patrick wouldn't mind if I hung out in his crib for awhile? I'd have to learn how to breathe underwater first, which might be a bit of a setback, but apparently I was a mermaid anyway. I could totally pull it off!

…how in the name of all that is holy did my thoughts stray to Spongebob Squarepants? Perhaps a bad reaction to the lasagna I ate last night? …nah. I doubted it. Gracia's cooking was, as Hughes put it, perfection. The meal might have been altogether awkward(mostly on my part) but I had eaten every bite on my plate before Elysia dragged me off upstairs. So not the food then. Probably the brain weasels acting up in my noggin. Those vicious creatures, they were downright diabolical.

A noise from in the hall somewhere diverted my attention. Someone was up, but who?

Silently, I stood and tip-toed to the door. A deep breath later, I cracked the door open. Along the walls were several framed pictures sporadically hung in a less-than-ordinary fashion, leading me to believe Hughes had been the one to hang them. He'd more than likely taken the pictures too. The hallway wasn't all that dark, the window at the end of the hall letting in a good amount of natural light. I could see perfectly, noticing right away that the door to the guest room on the other side of the hallway was cracked open. Further down the hall the bathroom door was closed and I could faintly hear some shuffling around in there. One of the boys then. Ed didn't strike me as an early riser. That left Alphonse.

I entered the hall, but as soon as I closed the door to Elysia's room thoughts began flying in my head. My intention was to hang out with Al(assuming it really was him) until the rest of the house woke up. But was he about to take a shower or something? Waiting in the hall that long would feel very creeper like. But what if he only wanted to pee or something and then go back to bed? It was still pretty early in the morning. If he saw me then he would be inclined to stay awake to keep me company. I didn't want to impose on him and make him feel like he had to do things like that.

My inner debate came to an end when the bathroom door opened, the light clicking off as a figure stepped out. Yep, it was Al. And he was fully dressed, which meant he planned to stay up. I had worried for nothing.

"Taylor?" he asked, eyes blinking and not expecting me to be standing in the hall. "What are you doing up so early?"

I frowned and scowled at the wall, "Thinking too much." Al took in my expression and gave a small chuckle. I looked back to him, frown turning upward, "I could ask you the same thing."

"My sleep schedule varies, but for the most part I wake up around this time. Years without sleeping will do that to you," he shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

I bit at my cheek, considering him. "Does it annoy you?"

He shook his head without a second thought, "Not at all. I'm just grateful I can sleep at all." Then he gave me this adoring look that told me exactly who he was grateful towards.

I groaned, rolling my eyes, "Alphonse, don't give me that look."

"What look?" he feigned ignorance, a smirk beginning to form.

I narrowed my eyes and pointed at his face, "_That_ look."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he nearly sang, strolling into his shared room. He made no effort to quiet his movements and I soon figured out why. Edward lay under a pile of covers, nothing visible but the flesh arm hanging limply over the edge and a halo of golden hair splayed across the pillow. The sight made me want to laugh. He was completely dead to the world.

"You Elrics are stubborn creatures," I concluded, leaning in the doorway while Al busied himself with pulling socks on. Ugh…feet. Even Al's feet were horrendous. I had never met a person who _didn't_ have horrendous feet. Hm…horrendous… I liked that word. It was so…big.

Al nodded in agreement, "You should have met our mother. Nothing could sway her when she decided something."

"I think all mothers are like that," I smiled ruefully, thinking of my own mom. It felt like years since I'd last seen her. It made me sad that I couldn't remember exactly what she looked like. I mean, sure I'd recognize her right away in a crowd. It's just that my memory of her was…blurred. Everyone else's faces were even more foggy in my mind. I tried not to let that get me down, telling myself it was a wasted effort to worry about it because I would never see them again.

Oh, that made me feel so much better.

"Taylor?"

I glanced up to Al's worried gaze. He sat on the edge of his single bed, hands calmly resting on his knees.

I shook my head and shrugged, "Nothing, I was just remembering something."

Al waited patiently for me to say more. When my silence continued, he slid from the bed and stepped towards me, placing a hand on my shoulder. His eyes were so penetrating, able to see past my façade. I had to look away towards the walls. The rest of me stayed immobile and tense as if I were waiting for him to pass some final judgment on me.

"You're just like Brother."

Okay…not what I expected.

I glanced up at him, cocking my eyebrow in a wordless question.

He wagged his finger at me, "Uh-uh. You're just going to have to ask Ed about that yourself. It'll give you a good excuse to wake him up."

My mouth agape, I watched, flabbergasted, as he went to leave the room. As he began to turn the corner, I found my voice, "What's _that_ supposed to mean? And forget waking Ed up! You see that? How am I supposed to wake _that_ up?" I pointed to _that_, which happened to be a sleeping Edward Elric. He snorted softly in his slumber, giving no other indication that he was alive.

"Hm, brownies might not work this time," Al nodded to himself in some form of agreement, although I wasn't really sure what he was talking about. "Then again, any kind of food usually does the trick. But since we have none at the time you'll just have to get creative!" He gave a huge grin and popped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Alphonse!" I hissed harshly, stamping my foot for good measure. That boy was up to something and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. Between them, Al was the nicer and more respectful of the brothers, but he was still an Elric. "Stubborn creatures indeed," I muttered to myself. Behind me, Ed half snorted, half snored as if agreeing with me.

With crossed arms and a scowl to match, I turned to my prey. Edward hadn't moved a muscle during that entire conversation. What would it take to wake him then? An explosion? Maybe if I shouted fire? Lick his face? Poke 'em with a stick?

I snapped my fingers and gasped, "Wait, that could work!" The shouting part, not the poking part. I didn't exactly have a stick at the ready anyway. Shouting would do nicely. And I could have some fun while I was at it.

I approached the bed, craning my neck up in an attempt to see his face. No dice; the blanket covered his head fully. The only inkling I was given to his head's whereabouts were the tangles of blonde hair. I reached for the blanket there, tugging gently down. There was more pulling involved, parts of the covers being stuck under him, but finally I revealed his head and shoulders.

My hands tightened their grip on the blanket as I halted to stare. His expression was smoothed out in the relaxation of sleep. The mouth I was used to seeing held in a smirk was open a fraction, breaths coming and going lazily. Dark, gold lashes caressed the top of his cheeks and for the first time I realized how his face had lost its young, boyish look. He'd matured while I'd been away. Without a shirt, I could see how clearly his shoulders had broadened. The smooth arch of his neck into his shoulder blades and chest… And I had a feeling if I removed the blanket further I'd see perfect washboard abs, accented by a scar or two but perfect all the same. Speaking of scars, I could see where the gleam of his automail arm met scarred skin. An urge so strong to run my fingers across the darkened, jagged line swelled up within me, shocking me by how powerful it was.

I let go of the blanket like it was on fire, a tiny squeak escaping my lips. Where had all of that come from? Yeah, I've always noticed how good-looking Ed was, but I'd never had _those_ sorts of thoughts ever since I'd gotten back. Whenever I'd touch him or hug him all I felt was the warmth of comfort. But now I was feeling a very different warmth bloom in the pit of my stomach, making my skin tingle and face flush.

Before I had sacrificed myself for the brothers, I knew I had fallen for the elder Elric. I had tried not to because it would complicate matters, but as I had said, the Elrics were stubborn. He'd wiggled his way into my heart and, if I could be so bold as to say, Ed had reciprocated the feelings. I don't know if he had felt the same love as I did for him. And yes, it was love, as undeniable as it was unshakable. It had never went away, just…sort of taken a backseat in my mind as I was forced through so much trauma. Now my heart was fluttering and telling me that I was very much ready to pick things up where we left them. Trouble was, I had no idea if Ed still reciprocated those feelings. They might have dulled over time. There was no doubt that he cared for me (him keeping my necklace all this time was physical proof of that), but did he like me like _that _anymore? For all I knew, he had found a new gal and they had been getting it on like bunnies!

…okay, so that was highly unlikely. This was still Ed we were talking about. He probably would have mentioned having a girlfriend or whatever. It wasn't completely out of the picture of reality. He was a teenage boy after all. And they had…urges. Right? Or was I just making myself fret for nothing? Huh, come to think of it Al hasn't said anything like that for himself. Al was quite a catch; you'd think he'd have a girlfriend by now. Maybe him and Winry? Nah, they didn't act like it. Besides, Al had only had his body for a little over five months now. And during that time he'd first been recovering and afterwards he'd been traveling with Ed. He hadn't had the time. Neither one of them did.

Then I shook my head forcefully. Why was I standing there speculating about all of this? I had a mission to complete! Less thinking, more action!

After scanning the area, I devised a sufficient, malicious plan. The bed's frame stood high enough to permit some room underneath…

With an evil grin plastered on my face, I lowered myself to the floor and crawled underneath the bed. It wasn't an extremely tight fit but it wasn't exactly comfortable either, or clean of dust for that matter. I squirmed underneath the bed, hitting my head on the frame once before settling into the right position. I faced the center of the room, seeing across the off-white carpet to the other bed and the edge of the door. Perfect…

Ready to go, I sucked in a huge gulp of air and shouted, "EDWARD! HELP!"

"AH! Wha-?!" a frantic yell sounded from above. Mismatched feet entered my line of vision as Ed stumbled clumsily from the bed and stood, more than likely not fully awake in his rush to come to my aid.

Aw, it almost made me feel bad for what I was about to do.

Almost.

Before he could take a step, my arms snaked out and grabbed his angles. With my hands holding him in place and his momentum carrying him forward, poor Edward toppled to the floor with flailing arms. I swiftly released his legs, fearing he would kick out at his 'attacker', and covered my mouth with both hands to stifle my amusement.

Now that he was out from under the covers, I could see that he wore only light, blue boxers and I let myself enjoy the view. Lying on his stomach for a few seconds to regain his bearings, Ed lifted himself up an inch with a groan, "Whoever you are, prepare to be murdered."

And with that, all of my resolve crumbled. I giggled and laughed so much that my stomach muscles bunched uncomfortably in protest but I just kept on laughing. My giggles were more than enough to make Ed hesitate. Blonde locks whipped through the air as gold eyes snapped to my shaking, giggling form.

"T-Taylor?!" he asked in astonishment.

The look on his face was so priceless that my laughs became silent I was laughing so hard. I don't think I could breathe properly at that point. My sides were hurting but I couldn't care less. Too…funny!

Attention focused on the hilarity of it all, I had no defenses ready for when Ed came for me. He had drug me halfway out from under the bed, arm around my midsection, by the time I became aware of what he was doing. I squeaked and went to scrambled backwards under the protection the bed provided.

"Oh no you don't," he growled, sunset orbs gleaming fiercely. He tugged me out swiftly and pinned me to the carpeted floor in the course of three seconds flat. I struggled weakly against his hold but I just didn't have it in me to break free. Plus, this was Ed. If he wanted me immobile then immobile I would be.

He hovered over me, and if I wasn't mistaken there was a bit of a smirk pulling up his lips. "That wasn't very nice, ya know." Yes, I could clearly hear it in his voice. He was having fun with this. "Don't you think I deserve an apology?"

"…I REGRET NOTHING!" I declared.

"Oh, we'll see about that," he said with his signature cocky grin, the one I loved so much. Then his hands began doing awful, terrible things to me.

"W-wait! Ha, _hah!_ Sto-p!" I squealed, squirming and giggling all at once as fingers expertly trailed down my sides, stomach and neck as he tickled me relentlessly. Somehow, he managed to keep me pinned despite his roaming hands and my attempts of escape.

Ed pretended like he couldn't hear me, "What was that? You said you were sorry?"

"You're…an…ass…!" I got out between pained, breathless laughs.

He grinned wider, "I can live with that. The question is how much more of this can you take?"

Not much longer apparently. But it was mostly my hair's fault. In all of our wriggling around, a good chunk of strands got caught near the port at Ed's shoulder, embedding themselves in the metal grooves.

"Ow, ow, ow!" I gasped, his movements causing my roots to scream in protest.

Edward stopped immediately, leaning closer to slacken the length between my scalp and his shoulder, "Damn, how'd that happen?"

"I don't know, just get it out!" I hissed, wanting to rub at my head to ease the stinging sensation but not being able to due to Ed still pinning me. He got the picture real quickly and released me, allowing me to sit up. I still couldn't move far because of the hair so I was practically sitting in his lap as he leaned up himself.

"Hold on a second. It's stuck in there pretty good," he said, already trying to free the strands. From where it was caught, my hair didn't allow much space between us without hurting me, forcing me to be close…really close…

Not that I minded.

Ed sighed remorsefully, "And here you were about to say those magic words."

I scoffed, face nearly pressed against his chest as I looked in the opposite direction to give him more access to my hair, "As if." Truthfully, I _was_ close to apologizing just to get him to stop tickling me. But no way would I tell him that.

"Uh-huh," he replied, not believing me. Then his tone turned more frustrated, "Stupid hair. How 'bout we just chop it off?"

"_Don't you dare!_" I exclaimed instantly. How dare he even suggest such a thing? It took forever just for Winry to convince me that it needed to be trimmed, and I had let her…begrudgingly.

He chuckled at my reaction, "Relax, I was only joking."

"You better have been," I muttered, doing exactly what he told me to do: relax. I closed my eyes and rested my left temple against his collarbone. This close, the scent of his skin wafted strongly in my nostrils and I breathed it in happily. I liked his smell. It was earthy, mixed with traces of machine oil and metal and overall just plain Edward. My breath ghosted over his skin in a sigh, causing goosebumps to erupt over his flesh.

"So why did you wake me up?" Ed asked all of sudden, the question coming out a bit strained. Although, that could be on account of his struggles with untangling my hair from his automail. His flesh arm rested somewhat against my shoulder, brushing against my cheek every now and then. Warmth pooled in my chest.

"…Al made me," I admitted with a moody mumble. I still hadn't forgiven Al for his vague comments and leaving me with the task of waking his brother.

He snorted, "Al made you?"

"Um…yeah."

"Sounds like there's more to it than that." More shifting and a, "Almost got 'em," was said under his breath.

"Maybe," I agreed. "He said something…about me and you…"

Ed stiffened with a full-body jerk, pulling harshly at the remaining strands of hair. I whimpered, opening my eyes at the unexpected pain. "Sorry, sorry," he apologized, fiddling with my hair once again. I glanced up but couldn't see his face from my position. What I _could_ see was a blush creeping its way up his neck as he asked, "What did Al say…about you and me?"

I nearly smiled, figuring out the reason why Ed had become so flustered. I guess I hadn't chosen my words very well. It was tempting to tease him about it, but I let the opportunity slip by and carried on the conversation, "He told me, and I quote, 'You're just like Brother'. And then he became vague and told me to ask you what it meant or something."

"Oh…" he said, sounding distracted.

When he didn't say anything more, I continued, "I mean, I guess we're alike in some ways, and that's not a bad thing. But I get the feeling he was talking about something more specific… Penny for your thoughts?"

"What's a penny?" he asked, his left hand coming to rest on my shoulder to tell me his task was completed.

Leaning back enough to see his face, I gave a laugh, "That's right, I forgot. I guess you could say a penny is the equivalent of one cen where I'm from."

"So it's currency?"

"Hm, you're a smart cookie."

"And you're observant," he cracked a smile. His bangs framed his face perfectly and I found myself becoming lost in molten seas of gold. Ed's smile faded some, but lingered on his lips, his face turning more serious as he turned to observe the sunshine creeping past the curtained window. His gaze was contemplating as he said softly, "We are a lot alike…aren't we?"

Heh, and they say opposites attract… Wait, wrong line of thought. Gah! Ever since I started thinking like this I haven't been able to stop! But was it such a bad thing? Edward seemed okay with how we were now, sitting barely a foot apart. He had no qualms with being close to me. So couldn't we just…what? Couldn't we just what? All I knew was that a pang of longing mixed with love stirred inside of me and I wanted to act on it. It kinda surprised me actually, how strong it was. I couldn't remember ever feeling such powerful emotions for anyone before. It was both terrifying and exhilarating all at once.

"I think he was referring to last night…"

Hold the phone, last night? What was he talking about…? Oh, right! We were having a conversation!

_I need to stop spacing out like that,_ I told myself sternly. Then his words registered in my mind and I knew exactly what he meant.

"Last night…" I repeated, glancing down. My hands had a mind of their own as they began toying with my long hair, nervously pulling the thick veil over my shoulder and combing through the rust colored strands.

Ed returned his gaze to me and his lids dropped halfway, his eyes holding both unbelievable kindness and wisdom, "Taylor, you know how Al and I feel about what happened. And Hughes told you himself last night. Nobody else will tell you different either; none of us hate you."

My fists tightened around my hair as I interjected, "So what, you think I should just get over it and move on? It's not that easy, Edward."

"Don't I know it," he surprised me by saying. I paused in my movements and looked up at him curiously. Nothing but understanding lay in his expression. "No matter how many times people say they don't hate you for it, no matter how many times they tell you not to blame yourself, it's hard not to, isn't it? It can tear you apart inside, but you try not to show it to others. Instead, you pretend that everything's okay for them because you don't want to hurt them anymore and add to the guilt."

It clicked into place. Ed was talking from experience, about his mother, Al, and who knows what else. No one else would better understand how I felt because Ed had felt it for years…possibly still felt some of it. He knew what I was going through, had been there, had fought that inner war with himself. This was a shared pain. Yes, shared; he was sharing this with me, letting me in where few others had been before. In that moment, I felt so connected to him that nothing could make me look away from those expressive eyes of his.

"It's not something you can just get over easily. And I'm not trying to force you to. To do so would make me a hypocrite." Then his face softened, "But you don't have to try so hard. Not for us."

No, I didn't have to. Because he understood completely. Both of them even. And they wouldn't judge me for it. I blamed myself for a lot of things, but they understood why, even when they were convinced it wasn't my fault. He wasn't asking me to change, just to stop bearing the worst of the weight on my own in silence. And that…that touched me deeply.

Ed's entire demeanor transformed rapidly, almost comically so, when he began freaking out, "W-why are you crying?! I was trying to cheer you up, not make you cry!"

It was true. Droplets of water had formed at the corners of my eyes. After the first one spilled over, I wiped at my face to try to regain my composure and denied it, "I'm not crying!"

"You idiot, I can see that you are!" he argued.

"You're imagining things," I retorted with a sniffle, knowing it was pointless to deny it but doing so anyway. I wiped at my face with both hands and just gave in, "Just…give me a minute." That's all I needed. It wasn't like a full blown sobbing session. More like a few surface tears that needed let out.

Ed sighed and retracted my hands from my face, being considerate by keeping his automail from touching my bare skin, only the fabric of my long sleeve so that the coolness of the metal wouldn't affect me. He wiped away one of the pesky tears and cupped my face in his large, warm hand, tilting my head up to face him. "Why are you crying?" he asked again, more gently this time. All I could hear was worry and care in his voice.

I hiccupped and brought my hand up to cover his, telling him honestly, "Because you make me happy."

That flustered Ed. A blush enveloped his cheeks. Taken aback, he blinked wildly at me with wide eyes, his mouth trying to form a proper sentence and getting no real words out, "I…wha-?"

My eyes slipped closed. I raised my other hand to rest my fingers lightly on his arms. "You make me happy," I repeated. Leaning into his touch, I hid nothing from him as I pressed my lips against the skin where his pulse beat.

His breath hitched in his throat and I felt his body shiver through his arm. Although I couldn't see his face behind my closed lids, I doubted it was a bad reaction. There was no tenseness in the air, only an incredible ease. I sat patiently like that, savoring the moment and waiting for him to make the next move.

I heard him swallow, the room so quiet that the only sound was his deep breathing. A shadow fell across my face and strands of hair tickled my uncovered cheek, hair that was not my own. He pressed his forehead against mine. Our breaths intermingled with each other, we were so close. My heartbeat picked up a notch.

It was tentative at first, the initial contact of lips. Edward was testing the waters, making sure that I was okay with this. He moved back scarcely an inch, his mouth hovering there. I whispered his name, my left hand leaving his arm to trail up his chest to the junction where his neck met shoulder. He shivered again, inhaling sharply. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his in a sweet, closed mouthed kiss.

Uncertainty left him entirely. With a low moan, he confidently met my kiss with force of his own. The hand cupping my cheek circled behind my head to tangle in my hair, keeping a firm hold on me as he kissed me thoroughly.

I melted into him, a blanket of warmth washing over me again and again. In his touch I found peace, acceptance, understanding, desire, love, and so much more. It made me lightheaded and feel like I was floating on rays of sunlight. I tingled all over from the many sensations.

We broke apart for air, but Ed wasn't done yet. He kissed the corner of my mouth, then my cheek, then my eyelid. He continued to shower me in butterfly kisses from my temple down to my neck, the brazen display of affection causing me to give a small, happy moan.

He stopped at my neck, nuzzling the sensitive skin there near my ear. His breath shuddered as he told me in a husky voice, "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that."

My eyes opened for the first time, my vision consumed by soft locks of gold. A blush tinged my already red face at the confession, even as a smile worked its way on my lips. I wrapped my arms more securely around his neck, holding him closer to me. Ed's hands trailed down my back as he too hugged me in an attempt to lessen the distance between us. He continued to brush the bridge of his nose against my flesh and I shivered. I felt his mouth form a smile against my neck. He knew my body was responding to his.

"Ed?" I asked, finally finding my voice. My question came out a bit dazed, breathless, and utterly relaxed. I felt his hummed response more than heard it, a signal for me to continue. "…thank you…for returning my necklace."

A considering silence on his part ensued for several moments. Then he told me, "I wore that thing every day you were gone. Hardly ever took it off. It feels kinda strange not wearing it anymore…"

"Do you want it back?" I asked, half amused, half serious.

"Nah, it's where it belongs." Then he moved to face me, saying before his lips met mine again, "Besides, I've got something better."

* * *

**And so the romance is back in all it's fluffy goodness! To be honest, this was not what I had planned for this chapter. I planned to have the Tayward scene smaller and keep going with the chapter...but then those two lovebirds just had to take over the freaking chapter. I wanted so badly to get to Mustang and them already, but as I reached page 13 and still hadn't made it there yet, I decided to chop off some pages and save it for the next chapter and leave you guys with this. But it shouldn't take me too long to complete, meaning I intend to update this coming up weekend. You guys deserve a quick update. And I'm ready to get on with the big stuff! XD**

**Thanks goes to Taylor for this chapter. I asked her how she would go about waking Ed up. She told me that she would lick his face. I wasn't quite sure about going that far, so then she decided that she should hide under the bed and scream fire. Although no screams of fire were made, I kept the hiding under the bed bit. ^_^**

**Ragan: Can I go home now?**

**LeFay: Nope. We haven't reached enough reviews yet!**

**Ragan: ...**

**LeFay: ...what are you doing in there anyways?**

**Ragan: I'm watching Adventure Time. They've got a marathon playing.**

**LeFay: ...PARTY IN THE REVIEW BOX!**

**...**

**...**

**...I feel like I'm forgetting something very important...eh, I'll probably remember it later. Anywho, be good my furry friends, make wise decisions, and stay away from hobos that live in icee machines.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**The Calm**

(-Taylor-)

When eight o'clock rolled around we were forced to venture out of the bedroom. Everyone else was waking up and Elysia had come to hunt us down, finding us in an innocent enough embrace (thank goodness). But she came to the wrong conclusion, seeing that I was practically laying on Ed on the floor and asking us if we were making another pretty sandwich. I laughed and told her that was exactly what we were doing. She happily jumped on my back to join the sandwich making, but soon after drug us out of the room because her mom had made breakfast (Ed had to throw on some real clothes first, which made me pout a bit).

The three of us ventured downstairs. Ed, huge grin in place, kept hold of my hand as if he didn't want to break the contact between us just yet. I admit, I didn't want to let go either. When we entered the kitchen, everyone else was already settled at the table, just beginning on their breakfast. I wouldn't go so far as to say that seeing Hughes completely unaffected me, but the atmosphere held none of the awkwardness of last night and I was able to actually talk a little with him. He asked us what our plans were, and when he found out we were going to HQ to see everyone there he offered us a ride for when he left for work. We took him up on it and were set to leave following breakfast. Throughout the meal, Al was giving us knowing glances. He had the gall to actually wink at me when our eyes met.

I was beginning to believe that people had it wrong. Alphonse was the one to watch out for. He was a scheming bugger, that one…

Breakfast was soon done and over with. I was pleased with myself that I had finished all of my food. I must be getting better. My reflection hadn't appeared as pale as it had been when I went to the bathroom before we left. I even seemed to have gained a couple pounds back of my lost weight. All in all, the morning was going far better than I had expected.

But that feeling of wrongness had never completely left me. In fact, when I focused on it I could _feel_ that it had intensified. It made me think that this was the calm before the storm. It baffled me really. Yes, I was nervous about seeing Mustang and his crew today (mostly Mustang because he would give me a barrage of questions and truthfully his stares could be a little unnerving). But it's not like they couldn't be trusted. Sure, they'd give us a hard time but nothing too bad. And yet, I couldn't shake the notion that…_something_ would happen today. _Something_, was coming. And it made me more uneasy than I cared to admit.

My fingertips brushed against the glass of my reflection, skirting around the other me's eyes. They were a mossy green dulled by fear and stress. I didn't like what I saw.

Covering my reflection's face completely with my hand, I whispered fervently to myself, "I'm better than this. I _know_ it."

I'd always been resilient, no matter how bad things got. This time…it was taking me a little longer to bounce back, that's all. If I set my mind to it, I could push past this. For Edward. For Alphonse. For everyone else who was dear to me. They didn't blame me, so for them, I would try my hardest. They deserved that much and more. It wouldn't be easy…but for them, I would try.

I retracted my hand to peek at my reflection once more. My expression seemed tired and that sense of wrongness coiled my stomach in knots as if it were laughing at me.

I stuck my tongue out at my reflection and left the bathroom.

Ed noticed that something was off when we piled in the car, Hughes in the front to drive and me sitting between the brothers in the back. He nudged me and whispered, "You seem kinda…antsy. Everything okay?"

"I'm nervous," I confessed, loud enough for both of them to hear me. Al turned his gaze on me as well, brows furrowing in thought as I went on, "But it's more than that… Ever get the feeling like something big is gonna happen? Well, my instincts are screaming that at me."

Neither had the chance to reply. Hughes struck up a conversation with us, asking about how long we were in Central for and what we planned to do when we left. For the moment, the boys let what I said go, though I could see that they were curious about it. They told the older man about how we intended to go to Dublith after a few days and go see the Curtis's. The conversation went on from there and I joined in a bit, trying to shake the weird feelings away and all to no avail.

The ride flew so fast it left me spinning when we drove into the parking lot of the Central command center. A moment of panic seized me, convincing me that cowering in the car sounded like a much better idea. The guys had left the vehicle and still I remained in place, staring blankly ahead, stone faced, fingernails digging into the leather seat cushions.

Hughes' head popped back in when I didn't emerge like he expected, "You coming or what?"

I sucked in a breath and replied with conviction, "Absolutely not."

He gave me an odd look, then disappeared out of the car, shutting the door. A few muffled voices later and a blonde head poked into the car to my right from where Ed had left the door open for me, a sandy haired one following within seconds. Twin looks of confusion were sent my way as Al asked, "Did you change your mind?"

"No…"

"Then what's the hold up?" Ed frowned. "This was your idea to come here in the first place. No way are we letting you back out now."

"I, uh…can't seem to move."

"…You can't move?"

"Negative, Ghostrider." True to my word, my limbs were locked stiffly, refusing to budge an inch.

_Come on legs, move! Move darn you! I control you, so obey me!_ I commanded inwardly.

Nada. They seemed to be rebelling.

Edward sighed, "I get that you're nervous, but there's nothing to be afraid of. You've been here before plenty of times."

Al's head vanished from my peripheral vision and I heard someone asking him a question. The voice was far too feminine to be Hughes. That perked my interest but did nothing to alleviate the tension.

Ed looked up as well, appearing to recognize the newcomer as he explained, "We're having a bit of mental difficulties here."

"Hey! I resent that!" I snapped, which only caused him to smile smugly.

As the voice approached into my range of hearing, I caught the woman's last few words, "…let me. It couldn't hurt."

"Sure," Ed nodded and then he was gone. I could only assume that this new lady, whoever she was, had offered to help and the brothers had obliged. She must have been a friend of theirs, but I couldn't place the voice. Either my memory of her was faded too much or I'd never met the lady.

Now, when someone offers to coax an anxious person from a vehicle, one would expect pleasant smiles and soothing assurances. _Not_ an alchemized whip being slung into the car to lasso around said anxious person and pull her out in a flurry of spins. I kid you not, that really happened. The Fuhrer must have heard my shrill scream from all the way in his cozy office. My vision reduced to a blur of gray and blue, the whip tugged me out into the open and left me spinning on the toe of one foot like a drunken ballerina. Arms caught me before I could flop on the ground in an unruly heap and it took several moments for me to realize those arms were Ed's. He must have been standing there, ready to catch me…which meant he had agreed to the crazy woman's unorthodox way of 'helping'… I've never wanted to kick someone so bad in my life. And I didn't know whether I wanted to kick the crazy woman or Ed first.

"Thanks Tegraia," Edward grinned, making me scowl. That turd…

"Any time," the crazy lady's voice replied happily, dripping with playfulness. I turned to Tegraia, seeing her standing a few feet away and transmuting the whip she used on me into a shiny, corded, leather belt that circled her waist, fitting in nicely with her blue uniform. Yes, she was a soldier. A State Alchemist, no doubt by her skills and the pocket watch chain gleaming from her pocket. And if her name wasn't enough to convince me I didn't know her, then her looks were. Her skin was dark, reminding me of a Hispanic person. But they didn't have Hispanic people here, so maybe it was more like the citizens of Lior. Maybe she had grown up in a desert village or something? A long black braid secured coarse hair behind her back, swinging like a tail down to her calves and I bet it would have been floor length if let out of its tie. Ebony bangs framed an angular face with strong bone structure. Thick lashes batted at me, outlining amused sky blue eyes and her lips, a sharp cupid's bow, were pulled back to smile at me with the same unabashed amusement.

She looked… I didn't know how to put my finger on it. She wasn't pretty in the general sense, more like you had to take a second look to get a good sense of her. The way she held herself and was dressed screamed to me that she was a tom-boy type. Her uniform was like the rest of them except her jacket remained undone, revealing a black tank top underneath. It vaguely remind me of the way Breda wore his uniform. She didn't have a lot in the way of curves, mostly graceful muscles hiding beneath her clothes. And she had really long legs, making her taller than average.

I turned my scowl at the woman, "_That's_ what you call helping?"

Her face brightened, not at all discouraged by my angry tone, "It got you outta the car, didn't it?"

I blinked and looked around myself. Okay, maybe she had a point. But still, there are…boundaries! Or rules or something against whipping people out of cars! Or there should be, at least.

"It was a bit excessive, don't you think?" Al asked, taking my side.

Aw, I forgive him for everything!

"But it was kinda funny," he admitted with a small smile.

That's it, he is dead to me.

"I for one thought the Major's methods were entertaining!" Hughes joined in, leaning back against the car with a grin. "I hope you've been using them to whip a certain Brigadier General into shape…pun intended."

She laughed and purred, "Of course I have, Colonel." Then her demeanor switched to a subdued one as she fiddled with her hands, "Ya know…as much as I can without getting fired."

Perplexed, I waved my arms to get everyone's attention, "Hello! Ginger floating out to sea here. Anyone care to explain before I'm further lost?"

"Gladly!" Hughes piped in. He hopped over to Tegraia and threw an arm around her shoulder, "This here is Major Tegraia Soma, the Taming Alchemist."

"Pleased to meet you!" she said positively, offering me a hand to shake.

I eyed her hand as if it would bite me. Satisfied that there were no arrays tattooed to her palms, I took her hand and returned the greeting, "Pleased to meet your whip- I mean you. I'm Taylor Riley."

She chuckled, "I guess you're not gonna let that go any time soon… Hang on, did you say Taylor Riley?" Her eyes went impossibly wide as she gazed at me in wonderment.

"If I say yes you're not gonna use your whip on me again, are you?" I asked warily, eyeing her belt. Her head shook frantically, almost in childish earnest for me to confirm my identity. I sighed deeply, "Then yes, I am Taylor Riley, Amestris's resident ginger. Why do you ask?"

"Aha!" she squealed, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me. "You're her! I finally get to meet you!"

"Her?" I got out between the wild shakes. I grabbed her wrists to get her to stop and, taking a step back to regain my bubble of space, I asked, "Are you saying you know me?" I turned to Ed and Al, "You guys been chatting about me?"

They both shrugged and shook their heads. Oh, what big help they were.

Tegraia cleared her throat and straightened herself up to regain her composure. Honestly, this lady left me through a loop. She seemed old enough to be a State Alchemist, no younger than twenty three, but her personality left me in as dizzying a spiral as her whip did. "The guys in the office are rather chatty. And it's no secret that Mustang has been hounding the boys about one Miss Riley ever since I began working under him. I got the impression that you were a really important person and basically saved Ed and Al's lives, and the rest of Amestris."

My eyes bulged and my mouth dropped, not because of what she knew about me. No, it seemed like she didn't know any important tid-bits like me being from another world. It was the fact that people were under the impression that _I saved Amestris_. What. The. Hell.

"But-yeah, Ed and Al were…but I never saved any country! Nope, you've got the wrong girl!" I made an X with my arms.

"No need to be modest!" she waved away my spluttered words. "Word is that you helped in the big fight against Bradley and his cohorts. Okay, maybe you didn't single handedly rescue the country from the big bad corrupted Fuhrer and those loyal to him, but I heard you played a pretty big part."

Well, that sounded a little better. The way she had said it earlier made me sound like Wonder Woman or some other superhero. Yes, I may have gotten rid of the last Homunculi there at the end, but that's the thing, I didn't do it intentionally! Or for the country! In fact, I was being held captive around then and if it hadn't have been for Fate's actions I wouldn't have been in Central in the first place. Regardless, I was there when shit hit the fan and by that point I was simply trying to _survive_. A hero, I was not.

"I'm not a hero," I affirmed stubbornly.

"Alright, if you say so," she agreed swiftly. …_Too_ swiftly.

"I'm not," I tried again.

"Okay."

"Seriously."

"Uh-huh."

This woman was _infuriating_! She obviously wasn't listening to me. It was time to bring out the big guns: my death glare.

As my glare of death focused on Tegraia, the woman reacted in the complete opposite way I had intended. Instead of ducking for cover or head exploding, she gasped in adoration and cooed, "Awww! You look so cute!" Then she pat my head like one would a puppy.

"Don't make me bite you," I warned, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

"Uh, Tegraia?" Ed began in anxious warning. "She's not joking. She really will bite you."

Thankfully, the woman had enough self-preservation instincts to remove her hand. However, the grin never left her face. "Fine, fine. I need to be heading in anyway. I was just on my way in when I saw you guys here. You're here to see the Brigadier General, right? Oh, he's gonna be crapping bunnies when he sees you've brought your friend."

Hughes snorted from beside her and Ed gave her a look, "Why must you give me such horrible mental images?"

She shrugged innocently, "Not my fault if you can't control your mind." Then she turned to Hughes, "I'll escort them from here, Colonel."

Again, she called Hughes a colonel. It had surprised me at first but when I thought about it, it made sense. If Mustang was promoted up a rank, why not Hughes? I'd be willing to bet they weren't the only ones either.

Hughes adjusted his glasses and smirked, "Oh no, I'm tagging along. No way am I going to miss the look on Roy's face when he sees this!"

"Very well then," she smiled, putting on a professional air in the blink of an eye and leading the way for all of us. As we walked from the parking lot to the front entrance, I saddled up between the boys.

"Is it just me, or is this chick loony?" I whispered grumpily to them.

Ed chuckled, "That's Tegraia for you. But she grows on you."

"It's true, Brother hated her in the beginning," Al told me.

I started to smile, "Oh, I hear a juicy story just waiting to be told."

Al complied, "Remember when we told you how Ed was made an ambassador and sent to Xing to promote an alliance? We didn't exactly go on our own. Tegraia was sent with us and that's when we first met her."

By this point, the two adults were listening to us. As we strolled down the vast halls of the command center, passing by a few soldiers that never looked our way, Tegraia entered the conversation, "I had recently become a State Alchemist and was just put under Mustang's command. And he thought it'd be fun to send me trekking across the desert with these two punks." She ruffled Ed's hair affectionately, causing Ed to grumble and swat her hands away. She laughed and went on with the story, "I think Mustang was testing me, seeing if I was up to snuff and could be trusted. I could see from the way he interacted with his team that they were a tight knit group and were wary, and I could understand that."

"And here I thought you were sent with them because of your amazing talents," Hughes prodded playfully.

She scoffed, "You know as well as I do that was only a secondary reason at best."

"What talents?" I asked curiously, my animosity towards her subdued at the moment.

"Alchemy is a deep love of mine, but I also have another love just as strong. I adore animals and observing wildlife. Ever since I can remember I was reading up on every type of animal I could and later on my dad would take me on trips to see them in person. There was this one time when we went up north to see the bears there and-"

"Tegraia," Ed sighed, getting her attention.

"Oh, sorry, I'm rambling," she smiled in apology. "Anyway, I'm good with animals. That's what helped me to become a State Alchemist more so than my alchemy."

"And Xing is riddled with dangerous animals," Al informed me. "Her presence there was invaluable."

"Yeah, when she wasn't fawning over the tigers," Ed scoffed.

"Hey, they are beautiful, graceful creatures," she defended herself.

"And you're obsessed with them."

"And I'm okay with that."

We swerved down the halls and to a staircase, beginning a climb that would take us to the third floor. As we walked up the steps, I pondered over what Tegraia had mentioned about how her love for animals helped her become a State Alchemist. "How is it you became a State Alchemist? I know you'd have to take the exams and all, but what'd you do for the presentation part? Or did you just turn in research?"

She smiled in reminiscence, "No, I didn't turn in research. That's too bland for my tastes. I first attempted the exam when I was twenty one but failed. I tried again a couple years later but failed to get noticed in the physical part. But I didn't give up! I came back this year and made it to the last stretch like last time, but this time one of the alchemists was an idiot. He brought a couple of animals to make a chimera on the spot, an Auerugan Mountain Lion and the biggest bear from Briggs I'd ever seen. He blended them together and lost control of the chimera afterwards. It went on a rampage and tried to eat one of the other alchemists. That's when I stepped in and KAPOW!" Here, she made the motions of cracking a whip. "I tamed the beast, the brass were impressed, and the new Fuhrer is about as original when it comes to State Alchemists titles as the last one was. And now I stand here today as the Taming Alchemist."

"You should have seen it," Hughes told me with an enthused expression. "It was quite the show to see her riding around on that chimera. I still regret not bringing my camera that day."

"You _rode_ it?" I asked in shock.

"Like a horsie," she nodded, pleased.

"…you're crazier than I thought."

"I try," she grinned and stopped at one of the many doors lining the section of hallway we were in. Without hesitation, she swung the door inward and strolled in. The rest of us followed at a sedate pace.

"And then she dumped me! Just where did I go wrong?" I heard Havoc complain mournfully before my eyes found him. He was perched on the edge of his desk, ever present cigarette dangling from his mouth, and was talking to Breda, who's back was turned to us. At their own desks I saw Falman and Fuery already beginning on their paperwork for the day. I assumed Mustang was in his office, the door to his private office wide open but from my vantage point I could only see the pair of couches.

"That's rough buddy," Breda told his friend, "But next time, don't tell the truth. When it comes to women, _you must lie, lie, lie_!"

"And here I thought women valued honesty," Tegraia snorted, walking around them to her desk on the other side.

Breda laughed, "Have you ever been in a relationship with a woman before, Tegraia?"

"Seeing as how I'm a heterosexual female, no, I can't say I have," she shook her head with an amused look.

"Then how can you…" Breda would have said more if Havoc hadn't have grabbed his shoulder suddenly. The four of us watched silently as Breda turned back to the blonde man who began coughing up a storm, appearing to have choked on his cigarette.

"You okay man?" Breda asked.

Havoc, still coughing, patted his shoulder frantically and motioned over towards us.

Breda turned around, his confused expression deepening when he saw us. "Big deal, it's just Hughes, Edward, Alphonse, and- holy shit!" At the exclamation, the other men looked up to see what was wrong. They looked to us, both of them taking a few moments to notice me standing among the small crowd. Falman let out a nearly inaudible gasp but kept his cool. Poor Fuery had the worst reaction. When he recognized me, he squeaked and ran to hide behind Tegraia, shouting something about ghosts. The dark haired woman smirked and patted his head in comfort like a mother would her child.

Seeing all of their faces, I wondered why I was ever nervous. This was fun!

Edward grinned from beside me, "I guess they haven't forgotten about you. You should feel honored."

I rolled my eyes, "Yes, I'm honored that I made Havoc nearly choke to death and Fuery cry."

"I'm not crying!" Fuery whimpered from behind Tegraia, peeking out to peer at us shakily.

"Right, sorry," I said, trying not to laugh.

Falman was the first to get over his shock, standing up and asking in a mildly puzzled yet polite tone, "Miss Riley, we were under the impression that you had…died."

"You and me both," I murmured under my breath. Ed elbowed me lightly and Al sent me a glance, their way of telling me that I should skirt the truth on this one. I cleared my throat and spoke to them in my best Mr. Miyagi voice, "Life works in mysterious ways…" I could practically see the question marks going around the room as Ed was now the one holding back laughter. Al just sent me a bland glare that told me I wasn't helping matters. I sighed, "Or I might have been…detained. I just got back recently and wanted to see how everyone was doing. What's up guys?"

There were a few raised eyebrows at my vague answer. I couldn't do anything about it. I doubted Mustang had told them the full story on me, it being dangerous information in the wrong hands. Not that this bunch couldn't be trusted. As Tegraia had pointed out earlier, they could be chatty. You could never know when a secret might slip out. No, the less people who knew, the better. We'd tell Mustang the whole scoop, of course. He wouldn't let us get away with anything less.

Hughes stuck up for me here, fabricating a phony story so fluidly it was scary, "Taylor went back home after the big fight night. Neither of the boys wanted to tell us anything to keep her off of the military's radar. She was still a wanted criminal at the time, remember?"

Honestly, I had forgotten about that little fact. The boys must have too because they stiffened beside me. My stomach tightened in fear. Was I still wanted by the State?

Hughes patted my head, gaining my attention. I think he knew that I was starting to fret and wanted to reassure me. His lips tugged up in a half smile, "But since that mess about Major Hawkeye's murder was settled, she finally decided to pay us a visit, right Taylor?"

My mouth opened in an 'o' of surprise. Let's see, if I had my ranks in the right order then… "Hawkeye was promoted up two ranks?"

"Yeah," he nodded somberly, the atmosphere in the room darkening with the mention of Hawkeye's absence. It just felt so…wrong and out of place, her not being there. When I had first entered the room, a brief thought had flitted through my mind, _Where's Hawkeye_? I recalled just as quickly that she was forever gone. Still…I kept expecting to see her somewhere among the soldiers as I scanned the room. So wrong, so unreal, but true regardless.

Ugh, I couldn't think like this! If I did, I'd wind up in a puddle of tears. The time for moping could be saved for later. I'd come here with a goal in mind.

Sensing the tension in the room, Hughes returned to his usual cheerfulness, "In fact, everyone here was promoted up a rank themselves. Excluding Edward, that is."

"The Chief's too good for one," Havoc smirked, pushing away the melancholy as well.

"Am not!" Ed stamped his foot. He crossed his arms and turned his nose up at him, "I'm just not interested."

"You were offered a promotion and you turned it down?" I asked incredulously.

"What of it?"

I put my hands up in surrender, "Nothing, nothing…. But Lieutenant Colonel Elric sounds pretty badass if you ask me."

He scowled at me and I beamed at him in return, the others around us snickering. "Not interested," he reaffirmed.

"Okay, but Major Elric just doesn't sound as intimidating," I sang, egging him on.

"I don't need a fancy title to intimidate people."

"True, you scare people enough as it is."

"Hey! When you put it like that you make it sound like a bad thing!"

"Aw, having a lover's spat?" Breda sniggered.

"Shuddup!" the raging blonde snarled at him, his face reddening in either anger or embarrassment. I couldn't tell which. Me, I laughed good-naturedly with the rest of them. It felt good to laugh and joke around, like I was getting back into the swing of things and regaining normalcy. Edward turned his back to us all and stumbled for a different topic, "So where's the Brigadier General? He late or something?"

"Actually, he's been in his office this entire time," Fuery spoke, feeling relaxed enough to come out from hiding.

The rest of us blinked at each other, all of us wondering the same thing. If Mustang was in his office why hadn't he come out? Surely he must have heard us arrive…

All of us, and yes, I mean _all_ of us, snuck to the open doorway, each of our heads poking inside one by one in a vertical line to peek inside.

"Pft, figures," Ed grunted. "Lazy bastard."

The 'lazy bastard' happened to be at his desk doing some heavy duty napping. One hand was holding a pen, frozen in its movement to sign a document, his other hand propped up by the elbow to support his head. His face was lax and eyes closed, the lightest of snores coming from the raven haired man. After the brothers had told me Mustang had fought against Bradley and won, I figured he'd have an eye patch to show for it. Nope, no eye patch in sight. It made me curious as to what exactly went down.

"He has been working an awful lot lately," Fuery said in sympathy for his boss.

"Yeah, he hasn't even been stealing my girlfriends lately," Havoc agreed.

"And he's been clocking in a large amount of overtime," came Falman's input.

"_There ain't no rest for the wicked…money don't grow on trees…_"

All eyes fell on me.

I slumped forward, "It sucks being the only musically inclined person here."

Ed rolled his eyes at me, "Hey musically inclined person, why don't you go wake him up?"

"Me?!" I squeaked. "You're his subordinate, why don't you?"

"Because I'm not his babysitter."

"Neither am I!"

"I say we send Hughes," Breda suggested. "You are his best friend. He won't murder you."

"That may be true, but he'll burn all of my beautiful pictures!" Hughes sniffled, suddenly cuddling up to a handful of pictures I didn't even see him pull out. Just as quickly, he put them away and returned to the serious task before us, "At any rate, I say it should be Alphonse. No way would Roy ever dare to hurt an innocent soul like him!"

We turned to see Al's reaction, only to find that he had mysteriously disappeared…

"Wait, I take back what I said earlier. I'll wake him up," I offered. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy but I simply smirked, an evil plot already forming in my head. I left the group huddled at the door and walked into the room, only glancing back once over my shoulder. All of them were saluting me and saying how it was a pleasure knowing me.

Dingbats…

I approached the desk, not realizing until then the pile of fur laying beside the mahogany legs on the floor. Triangular ears twitched and big puppy eyes opened to meet my gaze.

Black Hayate.

It made sense. Black Hayate was just as much apart of the team as Hawkeye was. With her gone, the others had made sure to take care of him, and who better than Roy Mustang! The man who loooooves dogs! It made me smile. Black Hayate's tail thumped against the floor in response, though he made no move to get up. I put a finger to my lips to convey to the dog to be quite and I turned my attention to Mustang.

Seconds passed as I observed the dozing man with a cocked head, the others behind me practically holding their collective breath. Then, without hesitation, I swooped in, knocked his arm out from under his head, and watched in sadistic glee as his face became painfully acquainted with the hard surface of his desk. His reaction was immediate. The sound of his face plant hadn't left the room before he floundered back in his office chair with an unmanly squawk, hands clutching at his reddened nose. Behind me, a chorus of chortles filled the air(along with a flash of a camera) and I was sorely tempted to join them. Instead, I kept my cool and waited patiently for Mustang to say something.

Dark eyes snapped open and the beginnings of a thunderous shout was directed towards me. He choked it back down when he saw who had disturbed his sleep. Pain in his face forgotten, the raven haired man gaped at me, rubbing his eyes frantically as if he expected me to disappear if he did it enough times. Having failed at that approach, he murmured to himself, "Well…this is an odd dream."

A smug smile forming, I told him silkily, "Do you dream about me often, Brigadier General?"

A memory flashed in his midnight blue eyes. His gaze flickered to the crowd at the door and back to me, and the shock slowly began to dissipate as he came to the fact that this was reality. He smirked easily, his mask in place and conveying no emotions other than confidence and superiority. "Throwing my own words back at me? How…original."

I shrugged and plopped myself on the arm of a couch.

He shook his head, "I should have known I had not seen the last of you… Edward, Alphonse, Hughes, why don't you come in and we'll discuss this. As for the rest of you, I'm sure you have work to do."

His team saluted him and left as ordered. Hughes pranced in with Ed and Al following behind. So I guess Al hadn't been hiding far off. They closed the door behind them and joined us.

"You should have seen the look on your face Roy! Oh wait, I took a picture so I can just show you after I develop it!" Hughes grinned from ear to ear.

Mustang narrowed his eyes at him, "Not if I burn your camera first."

Hughes gasped, appalled he would ever say such a thing, then promptly hid behind the rest of us. Coward…

Mustang assessed us, gaze landing on Ed last, "Fullmetal, you've got some explaining to do."

Ed shrugged noncommittally, "Don't look at me. I had no hand in this."

"Why do I find that so hard to believe?"

"It's true, Brigadier General," Al stood up for his brother.

"Hmm, maybe you should start at the beginning then. This should be an interesting tale."

We nodded in agreement, ready to begin with the story. But the explanation would have to wait, because the door slammed open and the last person I thought I'd ever see again stood there.

* * *

(-LeFay-)

"I just don't understand it," the brunette confided in the man sitting across from her, another passenger on the train to Central. The guy, a balding man in his forties, was reading a newspaper labeled _The Central Times_, the papers hiding most of his face while he gave grunts every once and awhile to LeFay's words and never looking up from the articles he found so fascinating. LeFay continued anyway, "One moment, he's saying 'don't wake me up' and the next he's saying 'I don't want to fall asleep'? He needs to make up his mind. Urgh, music these days, I just don't get it. But that's okay, I don't get a lot of things. I lack the proper common sense, or so everyone says. I think they may be on to something."

Another grunt from the other. The conversation was entirely one-sided, and yet LeFay never ran out of anything to say.

"It reminds me of what one of my math teachers told me. She talked about how everyone's got a little soldier in their brains. I'm not really sure what she was talking about but Amy told me my soldier was dead. What do you think?"

"Hn," he grunted again.

"Yeah, me too," she nodded in agreement. "Hey, I just realized you haven't told me your name yet! That's fine though, I'll just call you Bobby. You look like a Bobby to me. How's it goin' Bobby?"

"Hn."

"Ooh, that doesn't sound good. You should be more assertive about it. Use the fork Luce!" LeFay shouted. Then she realized what she said and shook her head, "I meant, force, Luke. Why do my words always come out scrambled?"

"Hn."

She sighed, "You're probably right, Bobby… Oh my God! Is that Central? Dude, we're in Central!"

"Hn."

"Right, sorry. I get overexcited easily."

Soon, the train was pulling into the station. As people began to get up to retrieve their bags from the luggage compartments, 'Bobby' folded his newspaper and looked LeFay square in the eyes for the first time during the long ride. LeFay watched him back owlishly, waiting for him to say something.

"You're a weird girl," he concluded.

She beamed, "Thank you! You're pretty awesome too, Bobby."

Bobby grunted yet again and retrieved his suitcase so he could depart the train. Following his example, LeFay grabbed her bag and set off for the big city. There wasn't much in her bag, just a couple of spare outfits she had bought with the money Winry gave her. Turns out, the rest of the traveling money Izumi had given her hadn't been enough to buy a ticket from Resembool to Central, but after Winry milked a bunch of juicy details about her home world from LeFay, the mechanic was more than willing to fork over some cash, even adding a little extra.

"Mmmmm, I hate trains," the fluffy girl decided as she stretched for all she was worth. How could Ed and Al ride those monstrosities all the time? Those seats were wooden….._wooden_! That's over a day's ride on _wooden_ seats. Her butt had went numb only two hours in. She still couldn't feel it as it was.

Glancing around the station, LeFay noted numerous people going this way and that or plain loitering around, probably waiting for loved ones to arrive or waiting for the opportune moment to hijack a train. What? It could happen. And that old lady sitting on one of the many benches was looking mighty suspicious…

LeFay shook her head, smiled at her own thoughts, and pulled out her pocket watch to check the time. She was a little obsessive compulsive about checking time, even when she had nowhere to be. That's why she always wore a watch on her whenever she left her house. The pocket watch she carried now ironically happened to be a replica State Alchemist watch. Now, she would admit to being a hardcore fan, but she'd never bought more FMA merchandise than the box set of DVDs of the first anime. The pocket watch was a gift from her little sister Ana. LeFay had loved it so much she didn't bother with wrist watches anymore, sticking solely to her glorious State Alchemist pocket watch!

"Goin' on nine o'clock," she murmured to herself. Despite the long way there, the train had made incredible timing, far earlier than anticipated. "What do I do now?" LeFay asked herself, not at all bothered by the fact she was talking to herself. She always talked to herself, even in public. The weird looks people gave her were just a bonus.

Stepping out of the station, LeFay mused to herself, "I have enough money for breakfast…I think. I am pretty hungry… But…Taylor's here somewhere." It had been so long since she had seen her best friend. _Really_ seen her. That brief time she pulled her from the gate didn't count. It had been _ages_ since LeFay and Taylor had been together, talked and laughed with one another. LeFay desperately missed her.

"Okay, Taylor first. Food later," the otaku decided. That begged the question though…where was Taylor? Somewhere in Central obviously, but _where_? "Think LeFay, if the Elric brothers brought Taylor here, where would they go? There's the library, Hughes' house, HQ, and… Hm, I think those are my only choices. Speaking of Hughes, is he even alive? Miss A never mentioned him, and Izumi didn't either, but I know the series finished itself out. Amestris even has a new Fuhrer…. Alright, so I won't try Hughes' place for now. I doubt I could find it anyhow. The other two will be easier. That leaves HQ or the library… I wouldn't have clearance to get into the library anyhow, and that's on the off chance they are there. My safest bet is HQ. Surely I can get in and find someone who knows how to get in touch with the Elrics. I wonder if I can just stroll on in there though…"

"Excuse me-"

"EEEK! What do you want from me?!" LeFay screamed shrilly, jumping a foot in the air and turning to who had spoken.

The man in blue uniform lifted his brows, half surprised, half entertained, "To ask you a question?"

"Um…okay, shoot," she consented.

"Are you lost? Cause I noticed you seemed pretty out of it while you were walking."

"Huh?" LeFay hummed, glancing around herself and noticing that she wasn't anywhere near the train station anymore. Her feet had moved of their own accord and had carried her down the sidewalk to parts unknown… Great, now she really was lost. Wait, no, what was that big white building? It had the large green lion flag thingies representing Amestris. The building wasn't very fancy, but it made up for it in size, more in height than width. The lot it sat on held plenty of space around it, no vegetation save for grass, the grounds surrounded by a large stone wall. The uniformed man that had spoken to her was actually a guard at the front gate with another soldier boy. Both of them looked pretty average and young, maybe early twenties. The one standing by the gate had shaggy black hair and watched with a blank expression from a few feet away, and the one talking to her had slicked back brown hair and kind eyes. They seemed nice enough.

"Is this the Central command center?" LeFay questioned out of the blue.

The soldier, taken aback, let out a surprised chuckle, "No, this is the State Penitentiary. Headquarters is closer to the center of the city. But why would you be going there?"

She thought on my feet, "Uh, my friend, he's a State Alchemist and I need to see him right away." Close enough, Edward was a friend of a friend. She could just stick with this story if anyone else asked.

"Oh," he said, sounding satisfied by her explanation. "In that case, just follow this street down, then…"

A minute later and LeFay had the route memorized. "I better get goin' then. Thanks a lot…um…"

"George."

"Right! Thanks a lot, Georgie!"

And with that, LeFay sauntered off.

_Twenty minutes later…_

"Hm…I think this is it," LeFay said to herself, scanning the large structure up and down. There were enough people in blue uniforms coming and going. This had to be the place!

With no further thoughts, LeFay marched forward…only to be held up at the front desk. She had entered through the front entrance and shuffled over to the desk situated by the front to ask the lady there for info…but she wasn't being too forthcoming.

"Please, I need to speak to the Flame Alchemist, Roy Mustang," LeFay asked, practically begging. She had no idea if he was still a Colonel or not. Her best bet was to refer to him by his State Alchemist title.

"The Brigadier General is a very busy man. Do you have an appointment? Any clearance at all?" the lady, a thirty-ish strawberry blonde, asked her in an emotionless tone.

"Um…no?"

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she declared, her tone becoming icy.

"Craaap," LeFay whined, shoulders slumping in defeat. She stood there for a couple of seconds, wondering what to do now, while she fished out her watch to check the time. 9:31...still not too late for breakfast.

"Forgive me Major! I didn't realize!" the lady suddenly stammered, standing at attention.

"D'ahhhh, come again?" LeFay asked, taking a step back in confusion. She swiveled her head in every direction, looking for who the lady was talking to, but found no one around the immediate vicinity. LeFay looked back to the lady. She was staring right at her with an ounce of fear in her eyes.

_She's talking to me? _LeFay wondered. _But why did she call me Major? That's a military rank. I'm not military… Oh wait, pocket watch… DUDE!_

Okay, that was it, LeFay was eternally grateful to Ana. She'd never stop thanking her for giving her this pocket watch.

LeFay pocketed the watch and couldn't help but smile, "It's alright. At ease." The lady relaxed her posture but the tension remained. She really was convinced that LeFay was a State Alchemist… So cool!

"I apologize for my ineptitude. I didn't recognize you because you're out of uniform… Actually, permission to speak freely?" LeFay nodded, having way too much fun with this. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here before…"

Damn, what now? She needed a good lie. "It's because I was just transferred over here. I uh, was stationed at Southern Headquarters. I'm the…Otaku Alchemist. I doubt you've heard of me, I'm more of the research type." Okay, crappy name, but it's not like she would know what it meant. Besides, it was far better than the Fluffy Alchemist. No one would take that seriously.

"Of course," the lady nodded, accepting everything at face value. It seemed like she was the type to do anything and everything to please her superiors, giving them the utmost respect. This just happened to work in LeFay's favor. The lady questioned her no more and gave her directions to Mustang's office. The newly named Otaku Alchemist thanked her and went on her way.

And minutes later she found herself lost.

"She said the second floor, right?" LeFay asked herself, peeking into the many rooms she passed. There were lots of soldiers everywhere, many of them giving her curious stares. LeFay started to get nervous. She didn't like so many eyes on her, like they knew somehow that she didn't belong there. It made her want to run and hide in a closet somewhere.

"Oof!" LeFay let out as she bumped into someone after rounding a corner. The other person was knocked back and would have toppled to the floor if LeFay hadn't have caught their arm to steady them. "Sorry, sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you just surprised me is all," the mousy brunette responded shakily, straightening the books she held in her arms as well as her glasses. That's when LeFay recognized her.

"SHESKA!" she shouted.

"AH!" Sheska squeaked, holding her books up in defense. "Why are you shouting?!"

"Because I'm glad I finally ran into someone I know!" LeFay cheered, grinning hugely.

"B-but I don't know you," Sheska admitted, peeking at her from behind her books.

"But I know you," she nodded. Then LeFay realized how creepy that sounded. Sheska was already looking at her with wide eyes, like she was some sort of alien. Eh, might as well play on her fears. "Yes, I know you Sheska. I know all about you, like how you were able to afford a nice hospital for your mother because of the money Major Elric gave you for transcribing Dr. Marcoh's notes. That impeccable memory of yours is an extraordinary talent. That's why we've been watching you for quite some time."

"Y-y-you're a-an a-ali-ali-" she stuttered, hair standing on end and in a full-swing panic.

"Alien?" LeFay asked with a smile. "Yessss."

"BAHH!" she shouted, about to run off.

"STAY!" the fluffy girl shouted in her best authoritative voice. The mousy woman froze, afraid to do anything more. "Now then, if you do me one tiny favor I'll leave you alone and we can part ways for forever. If not, you're so getting probed."

Sheska squeaked, tears practically running down her face, "W-what kind of f-favor?"

Her expression darkened, "Take me to your leader." On the inside, LeFay was laughing up a storm. She had always wanted to say that…

"The Fu-Fuhrer?"

"What? No, your boss, Hughes." It was a good a place to start as any.

"Okay then…" she sniffled shakily, turning robotically and walking down the hall with stiff steps. LeFay actually felt a little bad for frightening the poor women so much…ah well, too late now.

They reached Hughes office but found the man missing. Sheska mentioned that if he wasn't here by now then he was more than likely visiting the Brigadier General.

"Brigadier General as in Roy Mustang?" LeFay questioned hopefully. Sheska nodded jerkily. "Alright then, new course of action! Take me to Brigadier General Mustang's office!"

Sheska jumped into action quickly and led her to one of the many stairwells. Up they went to the third floor, zipped through the halls there, and arrived at the right door. Sheska entered the room, LeFay trailing in behind her.

"Sheska?" a voice asked. LeFay looked around, concluding that it was Falman who had voiced the question. And the rest of Mustang's team was there too! Havoc and Breda and Fuery and…who was that chick over there? Where was Hawkeye? Wait, on second thought, maybe she didn't want to meet Hawkeye just yet. She would be scary in person…

A frazzled Sheska slumped into a free chair and pointed wearily at LeFay, "Ali…en…"

Everyone switched their gazes to the fluffy girl. She just shook her head, shrugged, and said, "I dunno, man. She's crazy. Keeps calling me an alien."

Sheska was too far gone to make a comment.

LeFay glanced around the room, seeing past all the soldiers sitting at their desks who continued to stare at her, and noticed a closed door off to the side. Hmm… Ignoring the protests from behind her, she darted over to the door and barged right in, slamming the door open.

_Jackpot!_

Inside, were some of the sexiest guys in all of FMA…and Hughes. Yeah, Hughes was a good looking man but it'd be strange to call him sexy because he was so fatherly. But oh, there was dead sexy Roy Mustang, and equally as drop dead gorgeous Edward Elric, and then, looking like the epitome of cuteness, there was Alphonse Elric in his human body! And they were all here, right in front of her, and _real_!

It was like fan girl overload. She didn't know who to rape first.

All of them were staring at her in alarm but they ceased to exist to LeFay as she caught sight of the figure half hidden behind Al. She leaned around Al to see LeFay, mossy green eyes widening in recognition. The world stopped and LeFay's vision tunneled to one thing and one thing only.

It was _her_. It was her best friend, her soul sister.

For the first time in her life, LeFay cried tears of joy.

* * *

**For the love of God, this chapter was a _monster_! 16 pages! That's partly why it's later than I promised. Plus, whenever I was writing I kept getting interrupted by one thing or another. I kid you not, all four of my siblings called to talk to me during one writing session. One. Right. After. The. Other. ...but I love 'em. ^_^**

**Yeah, sorry I had to leave things off with that giant cliff hanger. But they're there! They've finally reunited! It seems everyone's been ready for it. Also, Tegraia's character has been properly introduced. I had loads of fun writing her and I can't wait to see what else she can bring to the table. And I just wanted to point out something about LeFay. I try to keep everything about Taylor and her life and me and everything as realistic as possible. I didn't put in LeFay having a State Alchemist poket watch just because I thought it'd be cool. I actually have one that my sister gave to me. For some reason, it's broken... but if it wasn't you can bet I'd take that thing everywhere with me! So yeah, it's no coincidence she had it.**

**Next chapter will probably be up in about two weeks like usual. Until then, see ya!**

* * *

**OMAKE:**

The door slammed open to Mustang's office, the room's occupants turning to stare in alarm at the fluffy girl standing there. LeFay barely paused to grin and announce, "I like trains!"

Their eyes widened in horror but nothing could be done to stop the inevitable.

_CRASH!_

A giant train exploded through the wall and smashed into everyone there, running them over as it barreled through the other wall with the force of a…well, train.

And they all lived happily ever after!

…not.

* * *

**There's your omake, sis. Hope you're happy. T .T ...but I should also thank you for helping me with this chapter. ;)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello my furry friends. I just wanted to inform you that TAYLOR ALMOST DIED! I'm dead serious(no pun intended). She was driving down the road, hit a rough patch of gravel, and her car flipped a bunch of times. The car is totaled and no one knows how Taylor survived. She walked away from it with a fractured spine that will heal in about four weeks or so, a concussion, and various bumps and bruises. It's scary to think that ****I almost lost my best friend... Remember to drive safe kids.  
**

**On another note, I've started my new quarter of classes. I hate my history class already. My professor goes on these boring tangents about unrelated stuff, so I was just sitting up in there reading Beautiful Creatures. Seriously though, at one point he was talking about how the president is really just a king and...something about Jesus and prostitutes. I dunno, I tuned him out at that point. My other classes are cool though.  
**

**I've updated Taylor's Cake of Life, in case I haven't told you guys already. Oh, and I've posted a new one-shot, Harlem Shake. ...yes, I so went there. Read them if you want. Oh! And if you love good OC stories you should check out Oh, no! by Witherychode. This story...dear God, I want to marry it I'm so in love with it. It's definitely one of the funniest stories I've ever read and I was hooked after just the first chapter. You guys should go take a look.**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**The Storm (Part 1)**

LeFay couldn't remember a time where she didn't know Taylor. The two girls had grown up in the somewhat cozy town of Farmerville, Louisiana and had attended the same school starting from at least the first grade, maybe before then, and were always in the same class. The earliest memory LeFay could vaguely recall of her best friend was the first day of school. Of which grade, she hadn't the slightest idea. She had sat at a table, reserving the seat next to her for when Taylor arrived. On the other hand, Taylor could remember precisely her first memory of LeFay that stood out. They were in their third grade science class, the dark room filled with various class pets such as birds, guinea pigs, and a ferret named Mr. Stinky. A male classmate of theirs, a quick tempered boy, had punched LeFay square in the nose, making her bleed an impressive amount of blood. Neither remembered why he had done so, or what LeFay had done to incur his wrath, the details having faded with time.

Many things had happened since then, but nothing that remarkable until they entered junior high. Upon beginning the sixth grade, the two girls, along with their mutual friends Amy and Ragan, had begun band, their love of music bringing them all closer together. An inspiring band director that taught them for their eighth and ninth grade years, a man known as Mr. S, brought a rough-around-the-edges miniscule band like theirs into a second family for all of its members. They were strong together and proved to everyone that they could be something more. However, it all fell apart when Mr. S was fired due to charges, later proven to be false, that he grew marijuana at his home.

It broke their misfit family apart and shattered Taylor's world. She had been through so much already. Her birth father had made it clear early in her life that he wanted nothing to do with her. And the man she had come to call her real father had recently been putting her, her sister, and their mother through hell. The fights, the screaming, the lies, the impending finality of divorce, it was enough to break a person. But Taylor had persevered through it all, taking it all with a forced smile. It didn't break her until they took away her second family, the one aspect of her life she thought would always be constant, the one escape she never thought could be taken from her.

It had been a sunny day, the rays of the sun beaming through the gym windows. The four of them, Taylor, LeFay, Ragan, and Amy, all sat in the upper bleachers, captured in a mournful silence. Taylor's eyes were still bloodshot from the horrible news. All of them watched their fellow students lounge about the gym, some of them playing basketball, ignorant to their shared pain.

Then LeFay surprised Taylor by placing a hand on her shoulder, her grip firm and her words confident as she spoke fervently, "We're still here. We'll get through this." Taylor glanced up at her. LeFay's muddy brown eyes were focused on the students below them, her gaze warm and fierce at the same time. What she said didn't make all of their troubles go away, but it was enough.

A few grueling months later, Amy had attempted to petition the return of their beloved band director. It surprised them how many students had signed it and not even half the day had gone by. By sixth period the principal had gotten word of the petition and demanded the papers to be confiscated. Amy had wordlessly given them to her, despite LeFay's protests. Taylor excused herself to the bathroom and LeFay found her in there later, sobbing her heart out and cursing angrily about how she was so stupid for getting her hopes up. Cheering people up had never been LeFay's strong suit because she never knew what to say. She could only hug her best friend while devising things she could do to make her feel better.

Taylor was surprised when LeFay called her and told her to come to the Johnny's Pizza in town the next day. When she walked into the building that afternoon, she was met with a colorful gathering of current and previous band members of Farmerville High School, including Mr. S himself. Although she couldn't change their crappy school life itself, nor did she always have the right words to say, LeFay still had her own way of cheering Taylor up. Taylor had tackled her in a bear hug when she realized LeFay had done this all for her. It touched her and proved that there were some things she couldn't lose. Some things would always remain through the ups and downs.

They had an unbreakable bond, the two of them. Taylor never failed to motivate and keep the fire burning in LeFay, and LeFay never ceased to make Taylor smile.

"Hey Taylor?" LeFay asked in a hushed tone, her bedroom darkened by the late hour. It was only days before Taylor's trip to Ireland and the two friends had hung out at LeFay's house and had just settled in for sleep, LeFay in her bed and Taylor curled up on a pallet on the floor beside her.

"Yeah?" she responded in a sleepy tone.

"…do you think we'll still be friends forty years from now or so?"

Taylor didn't hesitate, snorting, "Yes, and I'll still be coming over to your house and we'll still eat microwave pizzas and have anime marathons, except you'll live with a bunch of cats and be the town hermit. Now shut up and go to sleep, you dingbat."

LeFay smiled, satisfied with her answer, "Okay." She snuggled under her blankets, closing her eyes with a sigh and waiting for sleep to claim her.

Yes, some things would never change.

* * *

(-Taylor-)

Fuzzy memories assaulted my mind, each one involving the person standing before me. Her face had become blurred in those memories, but now they were crystal clear. She called my name loudly, and yet it sounded so far away. Her eyes were filled with moisture and I wondered if she was upset. I was proven wrong when she nearly knocked me over in her hurry to hug me. I could tell by the way she said my name, she was overjoyed to see me. Everyone else in the room watched us with varying degrees of bewilderment, none of them sure what to do. I didn't know what to do either. What are you supposed to do when your best friend, who is supposed to be in another world altogether and you haven't seen in over seven months, magically appears and hugs you? My mind was too blown to fully comprehend this. Because surely, this couldn't be her. It was just impossible. It was a trick somehow.

She pulled back but kept her hands on my shoulders, achingly familiar brown eyes staring at me from behind the lens of her glasses. A huge smile encompassed her face, shining through the lingering tears, "I've been looking for you _everywhere_!"

"Looking for…" I repeated in a daze.

The fluffy girl nodded emphatically and would have said more on the subject had her ADD not kicked in. She gasped, "Oh my God! You lost all of your fluff! What happened?! You got so freaking tiny! I think your boobs even shrunk!"

I heard Hughes snort at her exclamation, and someone else asked quietly, "Fluff?" A bubble of laughter of my own escaped me by the sheer randomness of it all. Then again, LeFay had to be the most random person I knew and no one, not even Envy, could successfully imitate her. Without a doubt, this was her. She was here. She was really _here_!

"LeFay!" I cried out, launching myself at her and holding on with all my might as if she would disappear any second. The clothes she wore looked Amestrian, dark brown khaki pants paired with an equally dark button-up purple sweater(types of clothes she'd never worn before), but everything else about her hadn't changed a bit. She was still the fluffy, random girl I knew as my best friend. And she was here! I couldn't get over the fact that she was really here!

"You're…not crying are you?" LeFay asked in alarm. She pushed me back, seeing my happy tears. "Why are you crying?"

"You started it!" I accused.

She slapped lightly at her face, ridding her cheeks of the wet streaks, "All gone! See? So you can stop crying now."

I nodded, swiping at my eyes.

"Ahem," Hughes cleared his throat and came up beside us. He glanced between us and I felt my face heat up because everyone had seen me cry. Hughes didn't seem bothered by it though. He smiled at me, "Care to introduce us to your friend?"

There was no time for me to reply. LeFay did a double take of the bespectacled man and shouted in a delayed reaction, "HUGHES! You're alive!"

He jumped back in surprise and said uncertainly, "Yes, I have been for many years now… Do I know you, Miss?"

She shook her head, continuing to gaze at him in wonder. I snapped my fingers in front of her face and brought her attention back to me. She was so squirrelly sometimes. It just made me smile.

"This is my best friend, LeFay Strent," I introduced everyone to her. I glanced around to take in everyone's reaction.

Ed's eyes widened, "LeFay… You mean the LeFay that's…" Here, he paused to sneak a peek at our audience crowded at the door made up of Mustang's team and, curiously, Sheska. "…that's from where you're from?"

I frowned thoughtfully, "How'd you know?"

"You mentioned her a couple of times. You said if she ever met me she'd be likely to rape me." Then the realization of that statement processed in his head and his expression morphed into a horrified one. He scrambled behind Al to use him as a human shield should LeFay try to jump him in the middle of the office.

LeFay grinned, "You've been talking about me? Awww, I feel so loved."

Hughes shared a look with Mustang, both of them deducing that "where I'm from" meant my home world. Mustang stood swiftly and crossed the room within seconds to wordlessly shut the door on his teams' faces. He turned back to all of us, gauging me and LeFay.

"I want a full explanation from both of you. Now," Mustang ordered sternly, leaving no room for argument.

"Sir, yes sir!" LeFay grinned, giving him a mock salute.

I elbowed her and whispered harshly, "Don't do that!"

"Oh, come on. You can't say this isn't freaking awesome."

I sweat dropped, "Maybe so but I've had loads of time to get used to it."

"Well I haven't, so let me enjoy this."

Typical LeFay, so giddy in the presence of her favorite anime. Now that she had confirmed that I was alive and well, she was lost to her giddy fan girl. At least she wasn't glomping anyone…yet.

I rolled my eyes, "You can enjoy it while you start talking." I tugged on her wrist and sat her down beside me on one of the couches. The guys also settled down for story time. Hughes sat on the opposite couch beside Al, Ed perched on the arm beside his brother and watching LeFay warily. Mustang was the only one who remained standing, choosing to lean back against the front of his desk with crossed arms.

I'd expected to have to use more prodding to convince her to get down to business, but LeFay did it all on her own. "Okay, so I should probably start at the beginning," she sighed, appearing as if she'd had to tell this story numerous times. It made me wonder about her adventures before she arrived at Central Headquarters. And again, _how was she here?!_

"That would be best," Mustang droned, scarcely concealing his sarcasm.

"Right," she nodded. She launched into an explanation about when my mother had vanished for a week and had told no one of where she went when she returned. Here, I stopped LeFay to find out if my mom was okay. Although she had beaten herself up over my absence, Mom was doing just fine. It relieved me and removed a weight on my shoulders I never knew existed. When I had sent her back home using Wrath as a toll to the gate, I had instinctively felt that it had been a success. However, nothing could compare to being absolutely certain.

"She didn't tell me where she went until about three months ago. Ever since then I've been trying to figure out how to open the gate and get here."

"I thought alchemy in your world was impossible," came Ed's input. Him, along with everyone else, was enraptured by LeFay's story, myself included. We all wanted to know what happened.

"It should have been," LeFay agreed. "But then I had this theory. If you had the right array and someone who was connected to the gate, someone who had seen the truth, then it could be possible."

"But you had neither of those things," he argued.

"Actually, I had both," she smiled, pleased with herself. "Miss April had one of those nifty sketches of Taylor's tattoos."

"Tattoos?" Hughes and Mustang questioned, both of them looking at me.

"Uh, oops? Did I just spill some big secret?" LeFay asked, turning to me with big, fearful eyes.

I shrugged, "Not really. I just never mentioned it."

"Great! So you'll take off your shirt and show me them?"

"WHAT?! No, absolutely not!"

"Please?!"

"LeFay, we're in a room full of guys. Hell no."

"Don't mind us," Mustang commented, amused.

"Nobody is taking off _any_ clothing!" Edward declared, giving Mustang the stank eye.

"Um, could you continue with the story?" Al asked LeFay sweetly.

"Oh, right," LeFay coughed and got back to business. "So this particular array was tattooed to you when you first got here, or so Miss A says. I assume it gave you some weird connection with the gate, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked.

She shrugged flippantly, "Lucky guess mostly, since the gate, Truth, whatever was the one that inked you. So I figured this was the circle to use. And since Miss A saw the truth when you sent her back through the gate…"

"S-she did? Oh God, did she have to sacrifice anything?!" I gasped in alarm.

"Chill," she patted my shoulder. "No, nothing like that. I'm assuming whatever you did paid the toll for her."

It…made sense, in a way. Using both Wrath and my Philosopher's Stone had been more than enough to send Mom back through. She must have ended up with a little extra in return.

"Even so, how did you activate the circle?" Al wondered.

"Miss A, her blood rather, was the key. A little prick of the finger and bada bing, bada boom! I had a one way trip to Amestris. She was gonna come with me but I activated the array too early, things got wonky, and I found myself in the gate. And more importantly, I found _you_ in the gate."

"_Me_?!" I squeaked.

"Hold on," Ed demanded, waving his hands through the air. He stared critically at LeFay, "Are you saying that _you're_ the one who rescued Taylor from the gate?"

"Yep! Speaking of…" She turned to me, "What the hell were you doing in the gate of all places?"

"I, uh…" I swallowed, trying to wrap my head around this new shock. All this time we had been trying to figure out this mystery, and _LeFay_ had been the one to bring me back… Unbelievable.

"She sacrificed herself for us," Al told her, his voice laced with sorrow. "It was an equivalent exchange: her body for mine, her soul for Brother's. There should have been nothing left of her, but she somehow remained connected through us, preventing the gate from consuming her entirely."

"That explains that," Mustang mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He must have had his suspicions about my disappearance, Al getting his body back, all of it. I didn't know if he had suspected this particular scenario though. His reaction didn't tell me much.

"So you really did," LeFay said, her gaze on me but her eyes unfocused and far away. "Izumi mentioned something like that…"

"You were at Teacher's?" Al asked, surprised.

"How are you still alive?!" Ed exclaimed.

"Eh, the gate kinda dumped me on that stupid island and she found me there and helped me out. She even fixed my glasses for me! But dude, did you know there's some freaky, overgrown, stalker spider there? It tried to _eat _me!"

Ed's face paled and mine probably did the same. "It's…still there?" I asked, suppressing a shudder.

"Yeah, but it pretty much left me alone after I tried to blow it up."

I face palmed. Somehow, I didn't think she was exaggerating.

"Spider?" Al asked, giving Ed a small, smug smile.

"Is the great Fullmetal Alchemist afraid of a whittle bug?" Hughes teased.

He flustered, "For one, they're arachnids! For another… Back on topic. How'd you manage to get Taylor out of the gate?"

LeFay nervously pushed the tips of her forefingers together, "I, um, kinda sorta…broke the gate?"

Dead silence.

LeFay fidgeted in her seat.

"You…broke…the gate?" Edward asked, dumbfounded. I didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or be angry.

"Is that possible?" Al asked, just as stupefied. Mustang and Hughes were looking equally as shocked.

"Apparently so," LeFay snorted softly. "I came in, found you floating with the gate babies, and pulled you out. It was like some switch was flipped or something because as soon as I did everything started going haywire. Truth said something about calling me a foolish mortal or whatever, and man did it look pissed and _scared_. It started screaming in pain, the gate to our world was trying to pull us back through, so I carried you to the other gate and we fell through but ended up separated. Oh! And I saw the truth thingy-majigie. But I'm afraid to clap my hands now because I nearly blew up half of that island."

"Something that extraordinary, the toll must have been exponential," Mustang observed. "What on Earth did you use in exchange? A Philosopher's Stone?"

"Those aren't exactly easy to come by," she replied, giving him a look that said he was stupid. "Nope, that's the strangest part. I didn't pay anything at all."

"That's…not possible," Al said, looking deeply disturbed. "There had to have been something…"

"Oh, they tried to take. Those spaghetti arms can be rather grabby," LeFay wrinkled her nose. "But all I had to do was struggle away from them. I don't think I would have been able to if it weren't for everything going all wonky. I don't know why, but taking Taylor out of there had some weird side effects."

Al shook his head, "Still, it's just not rational. Where is the equivalent exchange? What's going on here, Brother?" Here, he looked to Ed.

"She broke the gate," Edward murmured faintly. Concerned, Al waved a hand in front of his face. Ed showed no response, staring into space. The gate wasn't the only thing broken, apparently…

"Well, Roy?" Hughes glanced at Mustang, seeking his thoughts on the matter.

Mustang covered his face with his palm, "This is way above my pay grade."

"She broke the gate," Ed repeated.

"Yes, we've established that," I sighed. "What I wanna know is what this means."

"I don't think it's _completely_ broken," LeFay defended. "More like it's in the process of breaking."

"What makes you say that?" Hughes asked, leaning forward in his seat with his elbows resting on his knees.

"The world hasn't exploded yet," she stated as if it were obvious.

"This gate…it's that powerful?" he asked in awe.

"I dunno. Ask the broken record over there."

All eyes went to Edward.

"She broke the gate."

Oh jeez…

"Brother," Al shook his arm. Nothing.

Mustang heaved a breath and marched over to him. Looming over him, he called, "Hey, Shorty, wake up."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SHRIMP SO SMALL HE COULD RIDE A SPECK OF DUST?!"

"Brother!" Al cheered, throwing his arms around Ed in relief, preventing him from strangling Mustang. I rolled my eyes at them while beside me LeFay squeaked, no doubt ecstatic to see an Edward rant in the flesh.

"Down girl," I pushed on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Arf."

I gave her a WTF look and she just barked at me again.

"Moving on… Edward, what do you think?"

Giving one last glare to Mustang, who had returned to his spot at his desk, Ed said, "It's possible. The gate, Truth…they're more powerful than you can imagine. I wouldn't underestimate them. If LeFay's right about them being in the process of breaking, things can only get worse from here. That place holds a vast amount of alchemic energy. With nothing to contain it, there's no telling how severe it'll be on either side."

"At the very least, the connection between the worlds might be broken," Al said.

"Meaning…there'd be no way to get home," LeFay surmised, her gaze lowering to the coffee table. "From what I saw, the gates were slowly starting to crack, and I'm guessing that's why they're becoming unstable. If we could just figure out a way to fix it before it all goes to hell, maybe we can stop all of this."

"_If_ there is a way to fix it," Hughes stated. "This seems out of the hands of us mere humans."

"Humans are who caused this in the first place," Mustang said, glancing at LeFay. She shrunk in on herself guiltily. "They can reverse what has been done too."

"That's good in theory, as long as you have suggestions on _how_ to do so."

Mustang tried to smirk but it came off as a grimace, "One comes to mind."

"Mind sharing with the rest of the class, Roy?"

His gaze flitted around the room, going from the boys, to me, then back to Ed and Al. I had a feeling that whatever he said I wasn't going to like it. "If taking Taylor out of the gate caused this mess, placing her back in would more than likely stabilize it."

Did he…did he really just suggest…

"_No_!" Ed snarled, rising to his feet. His glare was so livid, so _deadly_, that Mustang faltered. "If you think for one second that I'd let you sacrifice Taylor like that, you've got another thing coming."

"Why would you say something like that?" Al asked the Brigadier General, a hint of betrayal in his voice.

"I'm simply theorizing at this point. We need to look at all of the possibilities," Mustang told them in a smooth, calm voice.

"_Find a different solution_," Ed growled, standing firm.

The Flame Alchemist's eyes narrowed, the tension in the room escalating, "And what will you do if there is no other solution?"

"I'm not going to send her back to that place, that's for sure," Ed said darkly, his expression murderous. "And I'll stop anyone who tries." The way he looked at the older man was a silent threat paired with that statement.

Mustang pushed forward at a more cautious tone, "The fate of not only one but two worlds is at stake. We must consider _every _possibility."

"I get what you're saying, Mustang," I said softly. All eyes fell on me now, everyone of them shocked, none so more than Edward. I glanced at Ed for a moment, then focused my attention on Mustang, "The needs of the many outweigh the few, right? It's the smart thing to do after all. Save the world, both worlds, at the price of one measly life." My fists clenched into the fabric of my pants, the knuckles of my fingers turning stark white as I looked down at them. My voice nearly broke, "But…that dark place…you have _no idea_ how truly horrible, _terrifying_ that place is. I can't go back there… I won't… If it comes down to it, even if it means everything would be destroyed, I'd let it come… I'd rather die here than live inside that hell."

It was, without a doubt, the most selfish thing I had ever said. But humans were selfish creatures, and I was no exception. I wasn't as brave as I'd like to believe, as I wished I was. I wasn't some hero like Tegraia had made me out to be. I was just…

Scared.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, clenching my eyes shut in shame. The sense of wrongness constricted my insides in response, proving this entire situation was a mess and the worst had yet to come. It made me want to run away back to Resembool where things were relatively more stable.

"Hey," Edward gently took my trembling hands into his gloved ones. "Don't talk like that. Look at me Taylor." I obeyed. Kneeling in front of me, he stared at me in a way that made me feel like we were the only ones in the room, like everything else could just easily melt away. "I won't let it come to that. And I won't let you be sacrificed for some theory that might not even work. We'll find another way, I promise."

"That's right," Hughes agreed, standing up and placing himself between Ed and Mustang in an attempt to ease the animosity. "We don't know what's possible and what's not at this point. We can't be rash and rush into something of this magnitude. Loads of deliberation are in order and in the meantime we'll just have to cross our fingers and hope that we can figure something out before worst comes to worst."

Mustang was content with that proposition. Al nodded to himself, his body tensed anxiously from the argument and looming possibility of apocalypse. Beside me, LeFay didn't look at anyone. She sat with her hands clasped in her lap, watching her thumbs move, too deep in thought to say anything. Edward said nothing either, but he didn't have to. His grip tightened, assuring me that he was there, he would protect me, I was safe.

The door slammed open for the second time today, making all of us jump. Black Hayate (who I had nearly forgotten was there) hopped up from his position beside the desk and yipped at the sudden intrusion.

"Sir!" Breda called to Mustang, expression grim.

I wanted to groan. What had happened now?

* * *

(-George-)

George was a simple man and a very imaginative dreamer. And lazy. He couldn't deny being lazy. He'd rather sit home all day getting lost in a good novel than do the job that took up most of his days in Central. That job consisted of guarding the State Penitentiary, a place that housed many of Amestris's most dangerous criminals. There were serial killers, crazed alchemists, you name it. But beggars can't be choosers. It was a steady job, one he'd had since starting here a couple of weeks prior. He was good at it, and it put food on the table.

…he just wished it wasn't so_…boring_.

George's stance slumped and he moaned to his fellow guardsman, "How do you do this everyday, Lou? How have you not gone insane yet?"

Louie, who had been a guard at the prison going on two years, scratched at his goatee, "Who says I haven't?" George had only known Louie for two weeks but he had a feeling that didn't matter. Even if he worked here for the next twenty years, he doubted he'd ever know when Louie was joking and when he was serious. The man was just so stoic, it was hard to tell.

"You really worry me sometimes, Lou," George sighed, returning to his people watching. The day was calm, the temperature moderate, and a light breeze had picked up. It was a nice, peaceful morning.

_BOOM!_

"What the hell?!" George exclaimed, spinning around to peer past the bars of the gate. Louie did the same, both of them having heard and felt the tremors produced by some sort of explosion. Neither of them could see what caused it, only a large dust cloud that floated around the left side of the building. Shouts came from there, the words indistinct.

"What do we do?" George asked his partner, his hand resting on his firearm holstered on his hip and ready for anything.

"We stay put," Louie replied firmly, sharp eyes watching a few guards file out of the front entrance and dash around the corner with drawn guns. More shouts came, then gunfire. Then the screams began. George had never witnessed death or been anywhere around it, but he had no doubt that those were the screams of the dying. A shot of adrenaline born of fear and anticipation flooded his system, encouraging him to take action.

George turned to Louie, the screams continuing to hammer at his eardrums. They couldn't just _stand_ there! "Lou!"

Louie closed his eyes in deliberation, body utterly immobile.

Another small explosion. More gunfire. More screams.

"Lou!"

"Alright," Louie surrendered. "I'll go check it out. But _you_ stay here. I don't want anyone passing through these gates, got it?"

George paled, "You've got to be joking, Lou. I'm not about to let you go in by yourself!"

"You will. Someone has to stay here and do their job. And I'm not about to send you in there." Louie swiftly opened the gate, stepped inside, closed it back, and locked the doors again before George could stammer a response. Louie drew his handgun, and without another word he sauntered away.

"Lou! Don't- ugh, damn it!" George growled, banging his fists against the bars of the gate in frustration. What the hell was that man thinking?! They could have a full scale prison break on their hands for all they knew!

Another explosion. More gunfire. More screams.

George paced the length of the gate, sending glances past the gate. The pedestrians that had been passing through at the time watched him from the sidewalk, all of them afraid to approach the gate to steal a closer peek because of the agitated man.

Another explosion. More gunfire. More screams.

A wordless scream came from his own lips as he couldn't take it anymore. He quickly unlocked the gate and, barely pausing to lock it back, George hurried over to the corner of the building where all the action was taking place. He was a decently smart man, which was why he didn't rush into things. He lingered at the corner, his handgun a reassuring weight in his hand. Taking a few deep breaths, he slowly peeked around the edge.

Chaos. That was the first word that came to mind. The sight before him was a battle ground. Two figures were especially going at each other with all their might, fighting to the death with alchemy and causing the dust clouds. The guards were attempting to control them, many of them becoming caught in the crossfire. The ground was littered with blue-clad bodies, some of them trapped under rubble and others sprawled in the open as their eyes stared lifelessly at the sky. One of those sightless pair of eyes belonged to Louie.

George nearly threw up his breakfast. It seemed unbelievable. Hadn't he just spoken to Lou only a couple of minutes ago? And now he was dead, and more were continuing to die. He wanted to run away, but anger flared deep inside him, anger at Louie's killer, anger at Louie himself for going in alone and dying on him. George just wanted to know what the hell was going on.

He focused closer on the two alchemists, startled to find that he knew them both. One was the Silver Alchemist, Giolio Comanche. He had fought in the Ishval Civil War but was sent home early due to a grievous injury that caused the loss of his left leg. Despite lacking a leg, the older man appeared to be holding his own, spinning around on his wooden peg leg and dodging attacks so swiftly it was a wonder his black top hat didn't go flying off. The sword in his hand gleamed as silver as his long silver mustache, the blade reduced to a blur as Comanche wielded it against the Ishvalan State Alchemist serial killer, Scar. There was no mistaking the red-eyed tan man.

George had been expecting a prison break of some kind. What was the Silver Alchemist and Scar doing there? Comanche had no business here, and the most recent rumors he'd heard was that Scar was somewhere out East, not here in Central. Why were they _here_? The only logical explanation was that Scar was here to kill Comanche, and since Comanche resided in Central… Alright, that explained that, but why were they here at the State Penitentiary?

Scanning the area, George spotted a section in the perimeter wall missing. Chunks of concrete lay scattered around the recently made opening, as if one of the explosions had occurred there. Putting two and two together, George deduced that Comanche had been nearby when Scar had attacked him, the fight spilling over into the prison grounds.

_They picked a hell of a place for a death match_, he thought to himself, watching the two duke it out with each other. It appeared that even though Scar wore a scattering of bandages(from a previous fight somewhere?), he had no trouble against the Silver Alchemist, which pissed Comanche off. The older man was letting his anger get the best of him. It cost him his life in the end.

Scar slammed his open palm towards Comanche's face, missing him when he dodged at the last second and causing his alchemized attack to strike the side of the building. A thunderous series of booms rocked the ground as bolder sized sections of the outer wall, sections that reached up to the third floor, came tumbling down. The Ishvalan jumped back in time to escape the downpour. Comanche did not. The heavy debris crushed him, killing him instantly.

"Oh shit," George whispered. Now that Comanche was dead, you'd think the battle would be over. But the horrors just kept on coming.

Once the dust settled, a sinister laugh could be heard. The Ishvalan scowled, staring into the interior of the prison. Out of the gaping hole came a figure dressed in prison garb. A wicked smiled curved at the prisoner's lips, white teeth flashing behind unruly strands of long, black hair. A broken pair of wooden cuffs, presumably damaged from the wall's collapse, fell from his wrists, allowing him to brush the dust and pebbles from his shoulders. Black arrays were noticeable on his palms.

"Oh _shit!_" George repeated, this time with more feeling. He pushed away from the corner and ran as fast as his legs would carry him to the front doors and inside. Nothing else registered in his mind, so focused on his task was he, until he found the short row of phones lining the hallway. A shaky hand gripped the handle of one receiver while the images of dead bodies refused to leave his mind's eye.

George swallowed deeply, attempting to gain control of himself. He had to call HQ for backup. He had to warn them that Scar was here…and that the Crimson Alchemist had just been set loose.

* * *

**Confession, my lil sis, Ana(aka, YourSecretStalker), came up with the names for the guardsmen. And Ragan helped inspire some of the fight at the end. Speaking of the fight, the Silver Alchemist, Comanche is not an OC. He's briefly shown in Brotherhood for those of you who can't recall.**

**I'm quite fond of the way this chapter began. Before we got into the happy reunion part, I wanted to show a bit of insight of Taylor's and LeFay's friendship and how close they are. It shows how important the actual reunion is. And LeFay...ah LeFay. I like to say how if I were ever in FMA I'd glomp all the characters, but truthfully I'd probably be like how LeFay was in this. Sure I'd be wanting to jump me some Edward, but I'd refrain. It's different when you're really _there_, ya know? That's why she didn't go into total ravenous fangirl mode...but I'm sure she'll make up for that later. XD ...and it is _still_ wierd refering to myself as a character. *sigh***

**Now I'd like to present to you an omake of when LeFay bursted into the room, just from Mustang's PoV. A small piece of it anyway. This was inspired by Sky65 when I asked her who's PoV I should do the chapter in. It sparked this small bit but I couldn't think of anything more to write. Plus, the reunion part was a critical moment for Taylor and LeFay so it made more sense to put it in one of their perspectives... But imagine how confused all the guys were too. Haha!**

* * *

**OMAKE:**

(-Mustang-)

Roy Mustang was very confused. Not only had a previously suspected dead Taylor Riley woken him from his nap(a very nice and well deserved nap, thank you very much), but now some random girl had practically flown into the room to tackle Taylor in a nearly painful looking embrace. This stranger now blubbered half structured sentences through wailing sobs of...agony? Joy? It was hard to discern. The Elrics appeared just as perplexed, having frozen in place to watch the spectacle with wide eyes and slack jaws. Clearly, neither of them knew what was going on and Roy took some comfort in this. He didn't like being the odd one out.

The strange girl wailed again, grating on Roy's nerves. His hands itched for his gloves. Taylor simply stood there in shock. With the door to his office wide open, his team had come to see the show, along with Sheska of all people. The bespectacled woman shouted something about the alien trying to eat Taylor.

Roy wasn't getting paid nearly enough for this.

* * *

**Ragan: That was beautiful.**

**LeFay: Really?! Aw, thanks!**

**Ragan: ...**

**LeFay: ...what?**

**Ragan: Oh nothing, I'm just wondering when you're going to LET ME OUT OF THIS BOX!**

**LeFay: Huh, I suppose the review count has reached over 684. Wow, that was fast.**

**Ragan: Yes, now about letting me out...**

**LeFay: Oh, darn. It seems I've misplaced the key. *whistles innocently***

**Ragan: I'LL GET YOU LEFAY! AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO!**

**LeFay: *gasps* Thou darest to even joke about hurting my baby?! How could you hurt a cute face like Buttercup's?**

**Ragan: Easily.**

**LeFay: ...bye-bye! *runs away***

**Ragan: AAAAAAAH!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay, so I got this done on time. It was starting to look doubtful there. BUT I DID IT! HOOZA!**

**...but seriously, this one was a doozie. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**The Storm (Part 2)**

(-Taylor-)

It had all happened so fast.

One minute we were sitting in Mustang's office, knee deep in intense conversation. Then Breda ran into the room, forgoing a salute in favor of telling his commanding officer the dreadful news. I didn't catch some of it, my mind still reeling from Mustang's suggestion, but a few words ran clear: Scar, dead State Alchemist, Crimson Alchemist, guards dead. Everyone was on their feet, all of us on edge. Mustang showed no signs of hesitation. He barked out orders to everyone in the room, including Hughes. Hughes was the first to run out, Sheska on his heels, and Mustang's team were to follow.

"That bastard," Ed seethed, fists tightened. "What's the deal, Mustang? I thought you had taken care of Scar after he jumped us in Resembool?"

"I never said I did," Mustang corrected, pulling on his heavy, black trench coat as everyone else hurried to get ready as well. "I was going to tell you, but we got sidetracked with Taylor and this gate business. I sent a team to apprehend him. All they found was an empty train. He must have fled before the train could make it to the next town."

"And now he's wreaking havoc in Central again. Damn it," he cursed, looking as if he wanted to hit something.

"It just means we'll deal with it now. Once and for all."

"What about the girls?" Al questioned, glancing at LeFay and I. "It's not like we can take them with us."

I gasped, "You're not going with them, are you? Scar nearly killed you last time!"

"He's tried to kill us numerous times, but he still hasn't succeeded," Edward told me, the beginnings of a smug smile curving his lips.

"Don't be stupid, Ed," I begged. I knew Ed and Al could handle themselves, and it was reassuring to know they'd have plenty of backup. That did nothing to alleviate my fears. What if something went wrong?

"That'd be a first."

"No one asked you, Havoc!" Edward roared.

"I guess we'll just hang around here then?" LeFay suggested, abnormally calm. What was up with her? Wasn't she the slightest bit concerned?

Mustang nodded in agreement, "That's a good idea. Until we send back word I don't want either of you leaving this building. Understood?"

Before I could make a remark, LeFay gave a two-fingered salute and said, "Aye, aye, sir!"

Mustang just shook his head and walked into the outer office, signaling that it was time for them to leave.

Fingertips brushed over my elbow and I glanced up. Despite the reluctance to leave me clear in his eyes, Ed smiled at me reassuringly, "We'll be back before you know it."

"You better," I whispered. His expression smoothed out as if he were considering something. A faint blush rose in his face and uncertainty shadowed his gold irises. It perplexed me for several moments. Then comprehenshion hit me. He was wondering whether he was supposed to kiss me goodbye. We were together now, our time together this morning making that clear. It hadn't made anything embarrassing or awkward afterward. We were the same around each other for the most part, a comfortable air between us. And now Ed was starting to show the first signs of being flustered. It was almost silly to me, making me roll my eyes and wrap my arms around his neck in a brief hug. Before the temptation to hold him there and keep him safe could get to me, I pulled back, giving him a swift peck on the cheek.

"Watch yourself out there," I told him, pushing him lightly towards the door. "Winry will kick your ass if you trash your automail."

He grinned at me, offering a thumbs up, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Come on, Brother," Al grabbed his coat sleeve and practically dragged him towards the door. "Don't worry, Taylor. I'll watch his back." Complaints came from Edward as his sandy-haired brother ushered him out of the offices. Everyone had left by now.

I sighed, not looking forward to the time I'd spend worrying for them until they returned in one piece. I went to make a comment to LeFay only to be brought up short by the Cheshire cat grin she had plastered on her face.

"…why are you looking at me like that? Stop it, it's creepy."

She didn't stop in the slightest. In fact, the grin became wider, "Did I just see what I think I saw?"

"Two dingbats with a death wish?" I asked, not sure what she was getting at.

LeFay grabbed my shoulders and shook them vigorously, "Not that! You kissed Edward Elric!"

"Yes. It's not like it was the first time either." _Or the last_, I added silently.

She gasped and let rip a squeal. I hadn't thought it was humanly possible to reach a pitch so high with only a voice… "Oh my God, you're dating Edward freaking Elric!"

"Well, I wouldn't call it dating exactly because we haven't went on an actual date. But we're together now, I guess. And would you stop shaking me!" I slapped her hands away from me.

"Sorry, it's just so awesome! I never expected _this _when I finally found you." She spun around in a circle of excitement. Where did she get all of this energy? "You and Ed? For reals?"

I shrugged, "What can I say? He's rather…charming." I laughed at that. Charming was the last thing you could describe Ed as. That didn't mean that I wasn't charmed by him.

LeFay clapped her hands and squealed again. I huffed a breath, shaking my head at her, but inwardly I smiled. I had missed seeing all of her antics. It brought back so many memories.

Suddenly, LeFay's expression darkened as she leaned forward and gazed unblinkingly at me, her voice low and dangerous, "Has he deflowered you?"

My cheeks burned and I waved my arms around frantically, "What the hell, LeFay?! No, no he hasn't! Get your mind out of the gutter."

She became cheerful immediately, "Relax, I was just curious is all."

"Curiosity killed the cat," I reminded her. I crossed my arms and looked out the windows situated behind Mustang's desk. "Why are we even talking about my love life?"

"To get your mind off of where the others went," she answered simply.

Taken aback, I glanced at her. She now sat on the corner of Mustang's desk, kicking her feet back and forth while her gaze roamed around the room in what would appear to be boredom, but I knew better. I always seemed to forget that underneath LeFay's energetic, bubbly self was an intuitive, insightful side. It was a side she rarely showed, and was often hidden behind her extreme lack of common sense, but it was there all the same.

"So is he a good kisser?"

And it was gone just as quickly.

I peered at her. She was smiling knowingly at me. I continued to stare. She continued to smile.

"Come on," she whispered, "you know you wanna smile."

I snorted and shook my head, "You're too much, LeFay. You haven't changed a bit."

"No…but you have."

I blinked and looked back at her. Her face was devoid of her usual merriment. "What do you mean?"

Her feet continued to kick back and forth and she glanced down at them, frowning, "It's more than your body that's changed. You're different. You're still you, yeah, but you're…different. I can't put my finger on it but I can see it, ya know?"

I nodded slowly, letting my arms hang limp at my sides. Turning away from the window, I sat beside her on the desk. My legs fell into sync with her swinging and we were quite for awhile. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend this was another normal day spent hanging with LeFay. We'd pile in my car and go anywhere, talk for hours about anything and everything with no walls between us, the radio playing softly in the background, occasional spurts of loud singing coming from us when a particular song came on. Those days seemed so distant now, and the me in those memories was another girl altogether.

She was right. I had changed. For both the better and the worse.

"…a lot's happened since the last time I saw you," I said softly, watching our feet sway. Hers slowed to a stop and I could feel her eyes on me. LeFay remained silent, a cue for me to continue. "The things I've seen…and done… I'm surprised I'm still alive and sane." A bitter laugh escaped me, "Well, mostly sane… It's taken a toll on me." I pushed the sleeve of my jacket and shirt to my elbow, revealing my inked forearm. "I'm not the same person I was when I first got these…"

Gingerly, she took my wrist to examine my arm more closely. Without looking away, she murmured, "But you're still here. That's got to count for something."

"…maybe," I conceded, replacing my sleeve when she let go. "The only reason I'm here now is because of you."

LeFay winced, "Yeah, and look at where that's gotten us." An odd expression flitted across her face and she hurriedly added, "Not that I regret getting you out of there. Not for a single second. I just wish I hadn't been such a klutz and broken the gate in the process. It figures I'd do something like this." She shrugged and let out a gust of breath, "But what's done is done, no use crying over spilled milk, all that jazz. We need to focus on fixing this mess."

"You know, I think that might actually make sense," I teased. She stuck her tongue out at me, causing me to smile.

"I can be smart when I choose to be," she defended. "Like for instance, I can see where Mustang's coming from."

My smile faded, "You mean…you _agree_ with him?"

"No, I said I can see where he's coming from," she corrected. "Do you think after all the trouble I went to I'd want to stick you back in there? Pfft, that's completely pointless if you ask me. What I'm saying is the theory might have some merit. We could use it as a base and work from there, see what else makes the gate tick. You catch my drift?"

"I…think," I said carefully. "So, use the idea to come up with a better one?"

"Basically. We've got to start from somewhere. Why not start from the beginning? The thing that got us here in the first place?"

"…you're making my brain hurt."

"You're not the only one," LeFay rubbed her temple. "Ah well, no point in brainstorming when the real geniuses aren't even here."

"Excuse me?" I asked, affronted.

She shrunk in on herself and whined, "Not that you aren't smart or anything. You're awesome! I just meant we needed someone who was more experienced in this area!"

I scowled and released her from my death glare. LeFay laughed nervously, scooting away an inch. "Whatever. Where did the 'real geniuses' even go? I didn't catch the place."

"The State Penitentiary. I passed by there on my way here." Her face pinched with concern, "They said a lot of people were injured and dead. I hope those guards I talked to are okay. They looked like nice people. One even gave me directions here."

"And who were the other people Breda mentioned? Some alchemists Scar was fighting?"

"The…Silver Alchemist, I think they called him. Breda said he was dead. I don't know who he is, but I'd have to be living under a rock not to know who the Crimson Alchemist is."

"Who is that?"

LeFay stared at me in pure shock, "The _Crimson_ Alchemist? Seriously? You don't know him?"

"Not everyone's a hardcore FMA fan like you are," I frowned.

"Okay, that's true, but I figured you would have heard of him or he'd have popped up before now." She rubbed at her face, thinking. "The Homunculi are all dead from what Izumi told me. Who was controlling them? Father?"

"Dante," I nearly spat the name. "She's gone now too."

"So we're going off the original anime series then."

"A lot of what I've seen comes from that, but there's some of Brotherhood in the mix too."

"Like…a blending of both? That's weird… At any rate, Kimblee should have shown up before they bit the dust."

My stomach plummeted through the floor and I suddenly felt lightheaded, "Kimblee? The long haired guy with circles on his hands that could turn people into bombs?"

"That's the guy," she said distractedly. "If he's still in prison, then he must not have been sent to lab five and escaped with Greed's bunch. So does that mean he's the one from Brotherhood? Does he have a Philosopher's Stone?"

"He has a Philosopher's Stone?!" I gasped breathlessly.

"I'm pretty sure he did in the Brotherhood version. I can't remember why he never just busted out if he had one. I think it had something to do with the Homunculi? I think they're the ones who made it possible for him to be released and reinstated as a State Alchemist."

I was barely paying attention to what she was saying. I stood, my knees trembling. "If he has a stone…dear God, we have to warn them!" I went to run out of the room when LeFay caught my wrist.

"How?" she questioned. "We're supposed to stay here. Unless you know the 1-800-State-Penitentiary hotline, there's no way we could tell them. And that's if someone there would believe us and would get the message out. Besides, I doubt he really has a stone."

"How can you be sure?"

"Call it a hunch, but since things are more like the original anime around here, and since the Homunculi are the ones from the original, I'm betting Kimblee's the first version too."

"You're betting. Which means there's a chance you could be wrong."

"I'm wrong a lot of times," she agreed, which did nothing to make me feel better. "But it's kinda pointless to try to warn them now, don't you think? They must have gotten to the prison by now and found out for themselves what Kimblee is capable of. And even if they haven't, they will long before we get a message out to them."

An irrational part of me wanted to push away her reasoning and say, "To hell with it! I've gotta try anyway!" However, I had to agree with the fact that she was right. Hell must have frozen over, because LeFay was making so much sense it was scary.

"How can you be so calm?" I asked her, standing in front of her. I wasn't relaxed enough to sit back down but I wasn't ready to charge out the door anymore either. "Aren't you worried about them?"

She scoffed, "Yeah, but it's Ed and Al. And they've got an army on their side. Chill, they'll be fine."

I'd already been stressed out knowing that people I cared about were going into danger. Add on top of that LeFay's nonchalance about the whole thing and I quickly became pissed. Red hued my vision as I shouted, "Chill?! They'll be _fine_?! Newsflash LeFay, this isn't some TV show! This is the real world! And you know what happens in the real world? People get hurt. People _die_! What is this to you?! Is this all just some fan girl daydream? Do you even care?!" That may have been a bit too much, but I was too far gone in my anger to think straight. And that was probably why, instead of making herself small and whining an apology like she usually did, LeFay began yelling as well, equally as angry.

"Of course I do!" she shouted, jumping to her feet. Her brows furrowed in fury, "I know this is real. I had to accept that months ago when your mom told me. Sure, it was surprising, and even _I_ never would have thought it possible, but at that time I could have cared less if FMA was real or not because you were alive and that was all that mattered. Do you know what I went through during that time I thought you were dead? I know you've had it worse than me, so much that I can't even imagine, but it was bad for me too. You weren't there and I…I…" Her voice cracked and a watery sheen flooded her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment, seeking to regain control of her emotions. Then she growled, "So don't you _dare_ say I don't care. All of this is secondary to me. Sure I may get giggly being here, but who wouldn't seeing some of their idols? But mostly I'm just so…I'm so happy that you're okay."

LeFay took in a shaky breath and leaned back against the desk. Her hand remained at her face, obscuring it. "I'm sorry that I don't seem all that worried. I am, believe me. It's just I know that they're strong and I have faith in them. And it's pointless to let the worry overwhelm you when it's out of your hands." Traces of a smile began to form on her lips, "But you've always been a worrywart. You've got too much pessimism for your own good, but that's why I'm here. I'm the optimism to your pessimism. I'm the straw to your berry."

Somewhere throughout LeFay's speech, silent tears had leaked down my cheeks from a number of emotions. One that stuck with me was guilt. I felt bad for accusing LeFay of not caring. She obviously did; the graveness in her tone was enough to convince me. She just had her own way of showing it. But then she had to go making jokes. At first I wanted to snap at her. However, my lips twitched, the tears suddenly stopped, and I found myself clutching my stomach as I nearly sprained it I was laughing so hard.

"Hey, why are you laughing? I was being serious!" she whined, waving her arms up and down dramatically.

That only made me laugh more. I fell to the floor, laying on my back and letting the laughs rip as loud as I wanted. I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed that much. It felt so wonderful.

"So…" LeFay began when my laughter faded into small giggles and snickers. I glanced over to her from my position on the floor. She stared down at a piece of paper she had snatched from Mustang's desk, the paper swiftly becoming a paper airplane. For Mustang's sake, I hoped it wasn't an important document. "…are we good?"

My eyelids slid closed as I smiled, "Yes LeFay, we're good…. And I'm sorry too."

"Eh, it's fine. I understand."

"Do you now?" I smirked, peeking up at her.

She stuck her tongue out at me, "Shut up, you, or I'll shank you in the armpit with a fish."

I snorted and gasped melodramatically, "Oh no, not the fish!"

"I got my eyes on you, Riley. Watch yourself."

"Whatever you say, Strent."

LeFay smiled, tossed the airplane on the desk, and stood. Walking towards the outer office, she called over her shoulder, "C'mon."

Sitting up, I asked, "Where? We're supposed to stay here, remember?" Her smile turned smug, "Mustang said not to leave the building. He said nothing about leaving the office."

"Touché," I agreed, rising to my feet.

"Now, why don't you give me the grand tour?"

"What makes you think I know my way around?"

"You'd know your way better than me. Let's just walk around for awhile."

"Why do you want to walk around? I thought you were allergic to walking and all forms of physical exercise."

"Ha ha, the Fluffster is not amused," she laughed dryly. We entered the hallway and started down the path to our left, walking shoulder to shoulder. "And why wouldn't I want to walk around a military headquarters? The fact that it's the _Amestrian _military headquarters just makes it that much sweeter."

"You're a weird one…"

"…Mr. Grinch."

"Someone hand me the nachos cause that was cheesy."

She giggled, "Do they even have nachos in Amestris?"

"Hm, probably not."

"Okay, food aside, how about you catch me up on some things? Your mom told me a lot of what's happened to you but I'm guessing a lot more went down after she left."

"You have no idea," I sighed wearily. "But before that, tell me what's been happening back at home!"

Her eyebrows rose, "It's not as interesting as what's here, I'll tell you that." I stared at her with my best pleading look and she caved, "Fine. Not a lot has changed. Everyone misses you terribly though. It's our senior year of high school and we've not only got a new principal and an assistant principal, but we've got a new band director."

"Wilder's gone?" I asked, astonished and happy. Mr. Wilder was a horrible band director that was hired after Mr. S was fired. He was egotistical and would frequently go into temper tantrums and hide in his office. No, I am not exaggerating.

"Yep. I haven't met the new director yet but _anyone_ is better than Wilder. Um, what else…" From there, she told me about other things: how my mom and Joeli were doing, how she and Ragan and Amy were still close and had stuck in band while many others had quit, how some of our other friends were doing, how her own family was doing, and so on.

By the time she was finished we had covered the entire third floor. With all the ruckus that Scar was producing, I would have expected more of a frenzy in HQ. Most of the officers went about their business in a calm and controlled fashion. A few of them were in a rush, either walking swiftly past us or hurrying around their office space. Some of them gave us curious glances but only one soldier stopped us to ask why we were walking around the command center unescorted. LeFay just grinned and showed a _State Alchemist _watch and the soldier swiftly found somewhere else to be. It made me laugh and I asked her where she had gotten her hands on one.

We caught snippets of conversation here and there about Scar and the State Penitentary but most of it was stuff we already knew. Word was that the other prisoners, some of them alchemists, were trying to make a break for it with all the chaos going on around them as cover. They must have had their hands full down there. LeFay just patted my shoulder and tried to cheer me up.

I paused in the middle of the stairwell where we had been on our way to the second floor, "Sorry, I just…" My eyes closed and I felt dizzy for a few brief seconds.

"What?" she asked, looking back to me, confused that I had stopped walking.

"I… Maybe I'm only worried about them, but I've had this feeling for a while now, days even. I feel like there's something wrong."

"There's lots of things wrong."

I frowned, "Not helping. I meant something more specific. I can feel it in my gut and…it's worse now than ever before. My skin's crawling and I can't shake it."

"You're…not sick are you? You need to get to a bathroom?"

"No," I shook my head, then realized that was a bad idea. I _did_ feel sick. Not overwhelming enough to need to sit down or run to the bathroom, but my stomach did have this sinking, nauseous feeling. "Uh, let's just head down to the first floor. I wanna be there when they come back."

"…okay then. But if you puke on me I'm gonna be upset."

I rolled my eyes and we resumed going down the stairs. Since LeFay had told me about home I thought it was only fair to tell her more of what had been going on around here. The feeling never went away and it was hard to focus on the conversation, but I tried my best to ignore it.

"Izumi flipped you? Seriously?" LeFay asked, not knowing whether to laugh or be appalled.

"Yes. What, she didn't flip you when she first met you?"

"No, but she did hit me with her slipper. Oh! Dude, I almost forgot to tell you!" She looked directly at me, her eyes wide, and said in a severe tone, "_She reminds me of my mother!_"

"Your mom?" I questioned. I'd never met LeFay's mom before, only her grandparents, dad, and older sister. The rest of her family I'd only heard about.

"_Yes_. It's freaking creepy! Izumi has longer hair and acts differently in a lot of ways, but they could be twins! I think my mom and Izumi are doubles."

"Doubles?"

"Yeah, like in the movie _Conqueror of Shamballa_? There were a bunch of doubles of everyone here in Germany."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"…so have you seen any doubles here of people we know?"

"No, I haven't."

She shrugged, "It'd be highly coincidental if you did, I suppose. It's weird enough that I met my mom's double. I didn't think it'd be Izumi of all people. But now that I think about it, it's fittin-" LeFay was cut off when we rounded the corner and she walked into someone. She stumbled back a step, throwing out a hand to the wall to catch her balance. "Sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going. I seem to be running into…people…today…"

I looked at LeFay curiously as she trailed off and her expression went slack. She stared at the guy she had bumped into and he stared back at her. I didn't know if he was a soldier because he wore casual clothes that consisted mostly of black. His long-sleeved shirt was gray, the buttoned up black vest covering it. He had one of those faces that you couldn't pinpoint an age. Maybe twenty, maybe thirty, I couldn't be sure. He wasn't too tall, slim with lanky limbs. His features were smooth, his skin flawless, his hair black and short. And his eyes were dark swirling pools of gray. He was not familiar at all but LeFay's expression clearly showed that she knew him.

The man seemed just as surprised at seeing LeFay. He glanced back and forth between the two of us, his mouth opened partially and at a loss for words.

LeFay, however, was not at a loss for words.

"_STALKER GHOST!_" she screeched, pointing at the man. The stranger blinked at her, not saying anything. Then LeFay proceeded to grab my wrist and drag me down the hall in the opposite direction of the man as she ran like hell.

"Ah! L-LeFay! What…the hell?!" I got out as I struggled to keep up with her. "Would you…_stop_!"

"HE'S COME BACK FOR ME!" she cried, sprinting onward as if I hadn't said a word. Honestly, I didn't know she could run that fast…

There was nothing I could do to pull away or get her to slow down, so, thoroughly confused, I could do nothing but let her drag me down hall after hall, the rooms and corridors becoming one big blur. In no time at all we had burst out the front doors and outside. Once there, LeFay halted, releasing me.

Panting, I demanded, "Okay…what the hell was that?!"

"Stalker…ghost…" she replied, out of breath herself.

"Yeah, I heard that part. What I meant was _what is wrong with you_?!"

"Many things," she said easily. I growled in frustration and she held out a hand, "Alright! I'll tell you!"

I nodded, slumping down on the front steps as I threatened weakly, "You better."

LeFay gauged me for a moment, "…hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine," I grumbled. It was a lie. All that running had made me feel even worse. My head was spinning and my body was overheating. I dismissed it, my curiosity demanding an answer, "Tell me who that guy is. Why'd you freak out?"

Since I had my head bowed I couldn't see all of LeFay. In my peripheral vision I caught movement and her voice sounded closer to me when she spoke. She had sat down beside me on the step. "That guy…I saw him on the island in Dublith. He popped up out of nowhere and disappeared when Izumi showed up. Said his name was Thor or something. He must have followed me off of the island so he can suck out my soul and eat it!"

Rubbing a trembling hand over my face, I commented, "I highly doubt that. Did you see the look on his face? He was just as shocked to see you there. It must have been some strange coincidence."

"Nah, I think I'll cling to my paranoia. I'll stay prepared that way."

"Whatever you say," I mumbled. My stomach lurched, forcing me to lean forward and moan.

"Taylor? What's wrong?" The pressure of her hand against my back was barely felt. Her next question about getting some form of help sounded muffled. And suddenly my sense of sight vanished.

* * *

"_Just tell me why. You owe me that much."_

**"**_**The rewards deserved by you have been reaped. We owe you nothing more."**_

"_I've given everything…what else do you want?"_

**"**_**We have what we desire."**_

"_And what _do _you desire? What was the point of all of this? At least tell me that much. Besides, you seem to like gloating. You're so damn prideful."_

**"**_**We are many things."**_

"_Except forthcoming."_

**"…"**

"_It's over anyway. There's nothing left."_

**"**_**Then why do you wish to know? What purpose does it serve?"**_

"…_my curiosity."_

**"**_**Many who seek the truth come to regret it."**_

"_I've got a lot of regrets. What's one more?"_

**"**_**Humans are such foolish creatures."**_

"_Hm, I agree with you there. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't expect something like you to understand."_

**"**_**Our knowledge is vast. You dare proclaim yours superior?"**_

"_In most things, no. But in a couple things, yes. This is one of those things. It's a human thing, and therefore, since you've never been human, you wouldn't understand."_

**"**_**That is where you are wrong, foolish mortal."**_

"…_are you telling me you were human at one time?"_

**"**_**Correct. We have transcended from that state."**_

"_Human… I find that hard to believe."_

**"**_**You question the truth?"**_

"_No, I question _your_ truth. It's a bastard anyway."_

**"**_**Then let us show you, foolish mortal, what will become of you. Remember that you wished for this. Do not turn away from our truth, for it will soon become your own."**_

* * *

(-LeFay-)

An entire minute passed where Taylor stared blankly ahead, no amount of snapping and shaking able to bring her out of her state. LeFay was getting dangerously close to screaming for help, having no idea what was wrong with her friend, when Taylor shot up to her feet, gasping as if she had run a marathon. Green eyes flitted around the area as if they sought to pinpoint the location but only half seeing things. Bewildered, Taylor swayed and would have tumbled down the steps had LeFay not caught her by the arms.

"Taylor! Careful. Just breath easy, okay? Just breath." LeFay hoped that her fear didn't seep into her voice too much. It was her job to make sure Taylor was okay, and that wouldn't go smoothly if LeFay was a mess too.

"I…c-can't…what?" Taylor breathed shallowly, not focusing on LeFay. It made her wonder if she had heard her at all.

"Taylor, look at me," LeFay commanded, keeping one hand on her elbow to steady the trembling girl while using the other to tilt her face up by the chin. "Hey, you're okay. Just tell me what's wrong. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

"I…don't know. T-there were voices in t-the dark…"

So she was aware of what LeFay was saying. That was a good sign. The hearing voices part though…not so much.

"What do you mean?" she asked as gently as she could.

Reddish hair whipped around her as Taylor shook her head, "I can't…it burns." Before LeFay could ask, Taylor pushed away enough to run her hands over her torso, shoulders, and arms like there were bugs crawling in her hoodie or the hoodie was on fire. "It…it hurts," Taylor's words hitched in her throat.

Taking the initiative, LeFay reached for the hem of Taylor's hoodie. Taylor didn't protest when LeFay shoved both the material of the forest green hoodie and shirt up to reveal her stomach. LeFay hadn't known what exactly to expect. With the way Taylor was acting, it could have been anything from a bad case of being overheated to ghost possession. What she found was far worse.

"Why are they doing that?" LeFay asked, astonished. The previously black arrays tattooed to the pale skin were now flaring bright red every few seconds."

"It's c-coming," she hissed in pain.

"What's coming?"

"I don't…I don't know," she shook her head. "It's coming…It's coming!"

"Okay, okay, it's coming. I got that." LeFay returned her clothes to their original state, noting that Taylor's breathing was out of control. "You need to calm down or you're gonna faint."

"I can't," she continued to shake her head. "Pl-please!"

"Please what? What can I do?"

Tears leaked out of Taylor's eyes as she clung to LeFay's arm, "I can't…I can't d-do this. I n-need Ed and Al."

"They're kinda busy at the moment. We're just gonna have to wait it out here until-"

"No!" she said breathlessly. "It's coming. I-I need…them. They c-can help… Please!"

LeFay was at a loss. Dealing with a crying Taylor, she could manage that most times. But _this_? This was far beyond that, beyond her capabilities as well. Her _tattoos_ were _glowing_! Taylor was in _pain_. And it was swiftly getting worse. But the Elrics were out there fighting! It's not like they could…

"_Please, _LeFay_!_" Taylor cried, a hand to her chest as if to soothe a pain LeFay knew nothing about.

Ah, screw it!

"Alright, we'll go. Come on," LeFay grabbed hold of her arm to keep her upright and led her away from the command center. Taylor calmed marginally at this, at knowing they were on their way to see the guys, but they were far from being out of the woods. "Just try to hold on"

LeFay knew they wouldn't make it there on foot, the distance being too far, so she hailed the first taxi she saw. The vehicle looked like no taxi she had ever seen before, it being a hundred years older model, but it served the same purpose. After LeFay had deposited Taylor into the back seat, she realized she probably didn't have enough cash to pay for the ride. So she whipped out her pocket watch, let the driver get an eyeful, and ordered him to take them to the State Penitentary and step on it. Needless to say, the man did as he was told.

Taylor didn't say anything or watch the buildings that passed quickly by them, choosing instead to fold in on herself as she tried to stifle her whimpers. Murmuring assurances, LeFay rubbed her back in an attempt to console her. Nothing worked.

A sense of dread gnawed at LeFay. She didn't like what Taylor said earlier. "It's coming" couldn't entail anything good, not with the way her frightened friend was going on about it. Just what the hell was going on?

"This is as far as I can take you," the cab driver announced.

LeFay looked up, not realizing they had stopped. What had been a twenty minute walk for her had amounted to a couple of minutes by car. She scanned the street outside the window, seeing why the driver had said what he did.

"Thank you. The State appreciates your support," LeFay told him curtly and hurriedly helped Taylor out of the vehicle.

The shaking girl leaned against her heavily, "We there?"

"Not quite," LeFay told her, smiling apologetically. The prison building could be seen farther down the street. The military had chosen this section of the road to create a blockade of cars and soldiers. There was plenty of activity here, despite no actual fighting occurring in sight, although the sounds of battle could be heard from here. Blue clad officers escorted civilians past the blockade, evacuating the area, while others were talking on old style radios or keeping a look out for danger. In the distance, plenty more uniformed men and women could be seen closer to the prison. LeFay could barely make out some damage done to the outer wall surrounding the imposing, white building.

"Excuse me, this area is off limits. You and your friend are going to have to leave," one of the soldiers told them as they approached.

"We can't. We have to see the Fullmetal Alchemist immediately. It's urgent," LeFay spoke formally to him.

"Major Elric?" he asked, recognition crossing his features. "I'm sorry, but he's inside the perimeter to detain the-"

"That doesn't matter! I told you, it's urgent!" LeFay argued. The guy just gave her more excuses. She was about to use her pocket watch yet again when a familiar voice called out Taylor's name.

The ginger glanced up, surprised, "B-Breda?" LeFay looked as well. To their left, the rotund man jogged over to them. Taken aback by their prescence, he nonetheless told the soldier they had been talking to that he would take care of it. He led the two girls away from hearing range of everyone and off to the side of the blockade.

"What are you _doing_ here? The Brigadier General told you girls to stay at HQ," he reprimanded them.

"It wasn't my idea," LeFay said, glancing down at Taylor. Her skin was deathly white with a light sheen of sweat. The poor girl looked ready to fall over any minute.

Breda noticed this and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, what's wrong? You were fine before we left." Taylor simply shook her head, too busy focusing on breathing right to answer. The red-haired man looked to LeFay, "Does she need to go to a hospital?"

"No, it's not that kind of problem." To better explain, LeFay pulled up the edge of Taylor's hoodie and shirt for the second time that day. The flashing had gotten more out of control and Breda's eyes weren't the only ones that widened.

"What the hell?" he asked.

"Exactly," LeFay nodded, letting the material fall back into place. "Which is why we need to see Ed and Al."

He schooled his surprised expression and frowned in thought, "They're on the inside. If Scar and the Crimson Alchemist wasn't bad enough, the other prisoners decided now would be a nice time to riot. It's complete chaos."

From the sounds of the rumbling and explosions in the distance, LeFay doubted he was exaggerating.

Taylor clenched her teeth together and whimpered, "It's coming…!"

Breda's eyebrow rose, "What's coming?"

"That's the problem," LeFay spoke as she helped Taylor sit on the curb. "We don't _know_. But it's going to be bad, whatever it is. A couple of alchemy geniuses would be really great right about now."

"THEN I OFFER THE ART OF ALCHEMY THAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS!"

"Eeek!"

"L-Lieutenant Colonel?!"

"Greetings!" the large bald man said in his booming voice. He had walked up behind them and scared the living daylights out of them. LeFay wondered where the hell Armstrong had come from…and how he got so tall. She had never seen someone of such incredible stature. And…did Breda just call him Lieutenant Colonel? Oh, he must have been promoted or something, cause wasn't Lt. Colonel higher than a major? Wait, now was not the time to be thinking about such things.

"Is there a problem, Lieutenant Breda?" Armstrong asked politely. "Perhaps I could be of assistance."

Breda, regaining his composure, nodded, "We've got a bit of a situation with Ed's girl here."

"Taylor's alchemy tattoos are going haywire," LeFay added.

At this, Armstrong gave a muffled gasp of surprised, "You don't mean to say the young lady Edward guarded many months ago? Taylor Riley? I was under the impression that she had died."

"Uh," LeFay scratched her head, unsure of what to tell him. It was true, Taylor had died, a couple of times in fact. She had told LeFay herself earlier. But this was one of those hush-hush topics, right? Better safe than sorry. "No, she's alive and fine. Well, she's in one piece anyway."

"THIS IS WONDERFUL NEWS!" Armstrong bellowed, tears streaming down his face and pink sparkles blinding her. "Tell me where the young lady is so that I may embrace her with the muscles that have been passed down the Armstrong line for Generations!"

Gee, that sounded pleasant…and painful.

"She's right here, but I wouldn't advise…that…" LeFay trailed off as she glanced down at the curb to find it empty. "…OH MY GOD! WHERE DID MY GINGER GO?!"

LeFay and the men whipped their heads around frantically in every direction.

"Where could she have gone? She was right there," Breda mumbled.

"Is that her?" Armstrong asked, pointing over their heads. They followed where he had indicated to see that Taylor had slipped by the blockade and was precariously close to the prison grounds. For a girl who looked like she had been ready to keel over, she could run pretty damn fast.

"What does that idiot think she's doing! She's gonna get herself killed!" Breda said.

"She's going after Al and Ed," LeFay told them. Giving them no warning, she barreled off after her. One of the men guarding the blockade attempted to stop her. Bad idea. LeFay pushed him out of the way with the force of a rhino and continued onward.

"Wait! Get back here!" Breda called after her.

LeFay paid no mind. She didn't let herself think. Taylor was about to put herself in danger's path and she had to be there to protect her. There was no way she was gonna let Taylor die, not after everything they'd been through already. So, ignoring the fact that her own life would be in peril, LeFay ran forward.

…and then she nearly shit a brick when her feet left the ground.

"AH!" she squeaked as she was picked up and placed under Armstrong's arm like an oversized football. "What are you doing?! Put me down!"

"Children should learn to listen to their elders," Armstrong declared.

"I'm not a child!" LeFay complained. She may act like a child most of the time, but she wasn't one! She struggled until she realized that Armstrong was actually carrying her _toward_ the State Penitentary. It confused her. Didn't he… Oh, he was probably just hurrying to get Taylor too so he could bring them both back. Eh, as long as Taylor was safe, little else mattered.

Armstrong ran on as if he weren't carrying human luggage with him. For such a big guy, he could book it. Man, was everyone here a faster runner than LeFay? Don't answer that.

At the end of the street sat the prison grounds. From their position, LeFay figured they were seeing the side of the building, maybe even the back. Earlier, she had thought she'd seen the outer wall broken in places. That was confirmed when they neared the grounds. Large stone chunks loitered the area, gaping holes in the wall at various places. Several military officers were fighting to gain control of the various prisoners running amuck. And Taylor was running through the middle of it. What the hell was she thinking? Oh wait, she wasn't. At this point, she was probably too far gone from pain and panic to think rationally.

Then, to LeFay's horror, the wall close to where Taylor ran exploded in a fiery blast, the shockwave sending the girl flying to the other side of the street.

"_TAYLOR_!" LeFay screeched. Seeing her best friend flung like that through the air… Oh God, what if she was…

Armstrong said nothing. He sprinted to where Taylor lay on the road, and LeFay sent a silent prayer of thanks to the big guy upstairs that she was moving and alive.

"Taylor!" LeFay cried, kneeling beside her once Armstrong sat her down.

The large man sank to his knees on her other side, scanning her over, "Are you injured terribly?"

It took a moment, disoriented as she was, for Taylor to sit up and give an answer, "I…I think I'm okay." LeFay looked her over with a critical eye. There seemed to be no broken bones. A few bleeding cuts and scrapes to her face and hands, and probably some nasty bruises hidden underneath the clothes, but all in all fairly intact.

"You're lucky you didn't get blown to smithereens," LeFay scolded her.

No more could be said. A giant rumbling shook the ground and the three snapped their gazes up to see parts of the building they were located by crumbling down, the giant, boulder-like pieces falling straight towards them. Before LeFay could scream, Armstrong stood and punched the brick rubble, sending yellow, alchemic sparks to shatter the object into a spray of pebbles. LeFay ducked down with Taylor as they were rained upon by the tiny rocks.

"Armstrong! Fancy seeing you here," a voice called out.

Armstrong stiffened and turned to the source. A man stood at the far corner of the building, wearing a prison uniform and smiling gleefully. "…Zolf Kimblee."

The smile grew wider, "In the flesh."

Fear creeped into LeFay's bones and an inner mantra of, _Oh shit!_, sounded in her mind.

They were all distracted when another explosion occurred by the wall of the State Penintentary, sending various sized bits of stone flying and one ruffled Brigadier General. Mustang landed in the middle of the street, a little worse for wear but okay for the most part.

"Damn it," he growled, sitting up. He was unprepared when Kimblee lunged at him. On instinct, Mustang lifted his arm to snap, and was brought up short when he saw the tear in his glove. The Crimson Alchemist smiled as his palm swiftly approached Mustang's wide-eyed face.

"Oh, no you don't!" a female voice shouted. Kimblee was halted a mere two feet from Mustang by the leathery vine that wrapped around his throat. He let out a strangled gasp as it choked him.

No, not vine, LeFay realized. It was a whip used by the unfamiliar dark-haired woman from Mustang's office. She wielded the whip from a few yards behind Kimblee, tugging on it to make him fall backward with a heavy thump. Kimblee growled and grasped at the whip's length.

"Major, let go!" Mustang ordered her, knowing something the others did not.

Not questioning him, the woman relinquished her weapon. And in the knick of time too. She had to duck and roll out of the way as Kimblee sent a charge that exploded the whip's handle. It wasn't a large blast but one that would have blown off her hands had she remained holding it.

To make matters worse, Scar had appeared on the scene. LeFay hadn't noticed until the red-eyed man shot out his arrayed arm, aiming for Mustang's face. The Brigadier General grasped Scar's forearm, planted his boot into his stomach, and used his momentum to send the Ishvalan in a flip to land on the ground behind him. Scar didn't stay down for long, flipping to his feet in seconds as Mustang hurried to stand up. That's when Armstrong entered the fray, going after Scar. Scar dodged his attacks nimbly. Mustang went after Kimblee who was attacking Mustang's subordinate. The woman was barely escaping his hits.

LeFay had been so caught up with watching the fight that she failed to see when Taylor stood. As the frazzled girl wandered into the street, LeFay jumped and caught up to her.

"Where are you going?! We need to get out of here!" LeFay shouted over the pandemonium.

Taylor stopped walking, hunched over, and gasped in pain. The barest hint of skin showed on her back, the tattoos there glowing bright red and no longer flickering.

"_What the hell are you two doing here?!_" an angry shout sounded beside them. LeFay looked away to see Ed stop in front of them, his brother directly behind them. They were covered in dust, their clothes torn in places, and Ed's forehead noticeably bled, but other than that they seemed fine. Tired, but fine.

Taylor screeched, falling to her knees. Ed blinked, taken aback so much that his anger was forgotten. He kneeled beside her as did LeFay. Al stood beside their huddle, keeping an eye on the fight in case their enemies gained closer. Instead of answering with words, LeFay lifted Taylor's shirt and jacket higher, the glowing arrays now visible to all.

Ed paled, "Oh no…"

Another scream echoed from Taylor elicited by the crackling red sparks that began to swarm her crumpled form.

"What's happening?!" LeFay asked, their hair and clothes beginning to fly as a wind picked up around them. It was no natural wind. The raw energy coming from Taylor was growing in power.

A split in the ground opened, compelling them to look downward. Panic skittered in LeFay as a giant eye revealed itself, expanding until it lay under the four of them.

"Al!" Ed called. Al saw too and dove down to help. It seemed like the boys were trying to push them out of the eye's reach, but it was too late. Black arms, flimsy looking as they were, wrapped tightly around them in grips of iron. It was all the four of them could do to hold onto each other as they were sucked through the portal.

* * *

(-Al-)

Alphonse was the first to awaken. There was no disorientation when he opened his eyes. He knew what had happened. The portal had opened under them and pulled them in. Many month ago, when Taylor had given his body back to him, Al had finally remembered his trip to the gate when he and his brother had attempted to bring their mom back to life. He remembered seeing that white realm, those flashes of information as the truth effectively seared itself into his brain. It enabled him to perform alchemy without circles, just like Edward. Yes, he knew where the portal led, to that white realm. But this…this was not that place.

"Where am I?" Al wondered, sitting up. He wasn't in Truth's realm, nor was he anywhere near the State Penitentary. A quick scan told him they were in an empty parking lot of a closed store.

Wait…_they_?

"Brother!" Al called, shaking the boy beside him. No use, his brother was out like a light, lying on his side with his arms around an equally unconscious Taylor. On Taylor's other side was her friend, LeFay, eyes closed as well.

Al stood up, careful of the dizzyness in his head and the pain in his body from the numerous scuffles he had fought through that day. He rubbed gingerly at his sore chest, speculating whether he had broken or only cracked a rib or two. The more he looked around the area the more confused he became. He didn't recognize any of it.

A moan reached his ears, causing him to turn his attention back to the others. LeFay leaned up on her elbow, massaging the back of her head with a groan.

"Are you okay?" Al asked her, rushing over to her to help her sit up.

"No, but I'll live," she admitted truthfully. Her eyes opened and looked around, finding the two remaining unconscious teens beside her. She turned back to Al and asked, "I thought we were sucked into an eye?"

Al chuckled, "The portal, yes. I remember being pulled through the gate but I blacked out somewhere along the way."

LeFay sat there, crosslegged, and glanced at Edward and Taylor again, then back to Al, "At least we managed to stick together this time. I'd hate to have to find Taylor all over again after I just found her….wait, why is it so quiet?" She craned her neck around, no doubt searching for the alchemists that had been battling each other.

"I think we were transported somewhere," Al commented, standing up and offering a hand to LeFay. She took it with a murmured thanks, looking around them with fervor. Something was going on in her mind but she said nothing. "Um…what is it?"

Ignoring his question, she stepped away from their group. LeFay walked backwards, her eyes never leaving the store front. She stopped yards away where she could view the entirety of the building.

"This is…" she whispered, disbelief written clearly in her feautres.

"LeFay?" he asked, curious and concerned.

Brown eyes met gray as she uttered, "We're in my world."

* * *

**MAJOR PLOT TWIST CLIFFHANGER! I AM SO CRUEL! MWHAHAHA! I know some of you are gonna kill me for leaving it there... I'll accept my death with honor.**

**I have been planning this for _ages_, and now we're finally there! Before I began the sequel, I figured it'd take about 5 chapters until they reached our world...I grossly miscalculated. And yes, you guys finally find out who Izumi reminded LeFay of. Again, I just want to say that I'm trying to make this story as realistic as possible. I truly believe, and my sister does too, that our mom is the Izumi double. It's pretty creepy actually.**

**Taylor: ...LeFay?**

**LeFay: Yeah?**

**Taylor: ...where'd Ragan go?**

**LeFay: Oh, he escaped the review box. I have no idea where he is now.**

**Taylor: ...are those..._teeth_ marks on the box?**

**LeFay: Yep. I think he really wanted outta there. Haha. XD**

**Taylor: Aren't you worried he's gonna kill you?**

**LeFay: Oh, I'm terrified. I'm just hiding it behind this smile.**

**Taylor: You're hopeless. -_-'**

**LeFay: WHAT IS LOVE?! BABY DON'T HURT ME!**

**Taylor: ... *walks away***

* * *

**OMAKE:** **How to pick up chicks, Edward Elric style.**

Edward took a deep breath and approached Taylor. He tapped her on the shoulder, capturing her attention.

"What's up, Ed?" she asked.

Swallowing down his nervousness, Ed morphed his expression into one of confidence and said in a low purr, "Hey girl, how about we go back to my place for a little late-night transmutation? We'll even use a circle if that makes you more comfortable. Wouldn't want to catch any rebounds or anything. Whaddya say? I can feel the sparks of alchemy between us already."

For several moments Taylor just stared at him, dumbfounded.

When she overcame her shock, she busted into loud guffaws, falling to the floor her amusement was so great.

Edward scowled and went to sulk in the corner. He was never taking dating advice from Mustang ever again.

* * *

**Omake inspired by Kiwi Murr's profile pic.**


	16. Chapter 16

**My deepest apologies for being a week late. To be honest, I had all the time in the world to write the chapter. But my muse was being freaking retarded. And OMG! My laptop is falling apart! I mean, I already knew it was haunted and hated me but then it had to go falling apart. The tab button doesn't even exist anymore! That's it, I'm getting a new one before this one breaks down completely.**

**I have exciting news! I think it was my last chapter that I mentioned in an author's note about this story I'm in love with called, _Oh, no!_ by Witherychode. Well I'm in love with the writer too cause she's so awesome and we're totally engaged now!**

**Taylor: …but I thought you were straight.**

**LeFay: HETEROSEXUATLITY BE DAMNED! THAT WOMAN IS A GODDESS!**

**Taylor: Okaaaay…**

**LeFay: It's true love I tell you! TRUE LOVE! I-**

***alarm blares and red lights flash***

**Taylor: Um, what's going on?**

**LeFay: *runs to super computer and starts pushing buttons* This is bad. Oh crap, this is really bad.**

**Taylor: What?**

**LeFay: We're under attack. It's _him_. He's come back!**

**Taylor: Oooooh no, we're doomed. T_T**

**LeFay: Time to unleash my secret weapon. *points at Taylor* I choose you, Ginja Ninja!**

**Taylor: I don't think so. *leaves***

**LeFay: Noooo! Come back! Don't leave me alone to dieeee!**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Homeward Bound**

(-Ed-)

_Shake._

"Ugn," Edward moaned unintelligibly.

_Shake, shake._

He clenched his eyes tighter, willing the offensive shaking to desist.

_Shake, shake, shake._

Couldn't a guy get any peaceful sleep around here? Who the hell was trying to wake him up? Al? He'd punch 'em in the gut before he rolled over to go back to sleep. Or if it was Taylor-

Red sparks of alchemy flashed in his mind, distressed screaming echoing over the crackling energy. His eyes snapped open and he lurched into a sitting position so fast that his sore body gave protest. He ignored the burning pains. They were inconsequential compared to everything else.

"Taylor," Edward said, finding her sitting on the ground beside him, her face pinched with worry and stress.

"Finally, I thought you were comatose there for a minute," she sighed shakily. She had been the one trying to wake him.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asked her anxiously, looking her over for injuries. His first priority was to confirm that she was alright. Everything else he could think about after.

Fishing a ponytail holder out of her pants pocket, she fiddled with her hair in a nervous manner, "I'll be fine. Just some bumps and bruises, no biggie." He noticed some of the scrapes as Taylor pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. He also noticed that her tattooes had faded to their original black.

"We're fine too, just so you know."

Ed's head snapped up and his sight located LeFay standing a few yards away with her arms crossed. Al stood beside her, fighting a smile of amusement at his brother's antics. Both of them appeared relatively unharmed.

"So that's it, we were all pulled in," Ed deduced. Then he scanned the area, finding an empty parking lot of a closed store, secluded somewhat from the other stores he could see across the way. In the distance he could hear the sounds of constant traffic. None of it was familiar. Even the sky had changed from being clear to overcast. "Where did it take us?"

"Since I doubt Central has a Payless, our best guess is that we're on the other side. This," LeFay gestured around them, "is mine and Taylor's world."

Ed gaped at her, glanced around once again, and then turned to Alphonse, "Seriously?!"

He nodded, "Yeah, watch this." Al crouched, clapped his hands, and touched the cement beneath him. Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing.

"That can't…" Ed began in denial, but his mind worked fast. He clapped his own hands and touched the wrist of his automail arm, intending to form a blade out of the metal covering. No rush of alchemic power came, no reconstruction of the material. Absolutely nothing.

"Alchemy doesn't work here," Al said, his tone mimicking the awe Ed felt inside. He came to stand in front of him, offering a hand for his brother. The stunned blonde took it, noting how Al winced when he heaved him up.

"What's wrong?"

The younger shook his head, rubbing at his torso lightly, "It's not that bad. My ribs aren't broken, at least I don't think. Scar doesn't hold back, does he Brother?"

Ed attempted a smile, "He's a serial killer, what do you think?" In a silent display of synchrony, the brothers held out their hands to Taylor. She blinked up at them for a second, then took their hands with a nod of thanks.

"Are you okay, Taylor? You haven't said much," Al said to her. Ed's gaze flicked over to the ginger. Now that he looked, he could see her hands shaking. She shoved them in the pockets of her jacket to hide them.

Taylor titled her head back to stare into the overcast sky, "I'm…in shock? I never thought that…"

Ed touched her arm in understanding. She never thought she'd be back here. He sure as hell never thought he'd come to this place. He felt unsettled and lost without his alchemy.

"So, anyone know _why_ we're here?" LeFay asked, hands on her hips.

Ed considered the circumstances and asked, "What caused your tattooes to activate, Taylor?"

She shrugged, "They started to activate by themselves."

"She started feeling sick and then they began to act up," came the brunette's input. "I didn't know how to help her so I brought her to you guys. She kept saying _it_ was coming."

"It?" the boys repeated in unison.

"The…gate," Taylor said, hugging herself. "I could feel it. …Fate mentioned something once, about how my arrays are a connection with the gate, and maybe Truth itself I think."

"If the gates are malfunctioning, then you'll feel it through the connection," Ed finished her thought for her.

She nodded, "Yeah, I told you guys about how I felt like something was wrong. I think I know now."

"And how do you feel now?" Al asked.

Taylor thought about it, furrowing her brows and frowning, "It's not as bad. But I still feel like there's something wrong. I think the gate is still breaking and this…this was some sort of…spike? Like it was too much energy and it needed to be released and since it was connected to me it targeted me."

"Eureka!" All eyes turned to LeFay, who was hopping in place in excitement. Before they could question her, she launched into her explanation, "It all makes sense now! I was wondering why the gate dumped me on the island and Taylor at your burnt down house. And then there's this, where we landed now! This is the same place Miss A was taken to Amestris and it's also the same place where she came back."

"…and your point is?" Ed asked.

"They're hot spots!"

"Thanks for clearing that up," he replied sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" Al asked more politely.

"_It's all connected!_ In each place the gate has been opened up before. You guys opened it at your house, Izumi opened it on the island, and that Fate guy opened it here when he took Miss A! The gate didn't spit us out randomly, they already had a connection to these places."

"Like the connection with Taylor in a way," Al said, jumping on board with her theory.

Ed had to admit, it was a sound explanation. He hadn't expected someone like LeFay to make the connection. She came off as more of a…what was the word Taylor used?

"Dingbat," Taylor's smile betrayed the insult.

Oh yeah, that was the word.

LeFay smiled back at her. The smile vanished suddenly as she slumped over and rubbed her stomach, "Okay, can we save the heavy thinking for later? I hate to be the fluffy person of the group, but I haven't eaten in forever and need some food."

Ed's stomach growled in agreement, "I agree, we should find a place to regroup." It was already in the later part of the afternoon. Either they had been unconscious for awhile, or the trip through the gate took longer than he'd expected, because time had slipped them by. The riot at the State Penitentiary must've been long over by now. He wondered if everyone was okay.

"What's the plan?" Al asked, looking between Taylor and LeFay. This was their world. Him and Ed were just visiting…they hoped. At any rate, they'd have to leave where to go and what to do up to the girls.

"Uh…" Taylor said, looking as confused as the boys. She glanced to LeFay for help.

"I could call my sister to come pick us up. She lives in West Monroe so she's the closet person to us."

"And we're in West Monroe right now?" Ed asked, the name of the town feeling foreign to his lips.

"No, we're in Monroe. It's literally right beside West Monroe. Don't know why they split the town into two, but they did at one point. They also call this place the Twin Cities." As she spoke, she made her way to the store front where an odd looking payphone was stationed. It wasn't one like he'd ever seen but it was recognizable enough. LeFay dug in her pockets, frowned, and turned to Taylor, "Hey, you got any change on you?"

Taylor gave her 'the look'.

LeFay scratched her head, "Oh right, sorry. Guess we're gonna have to do this the hard way."

For the next several minutes the four of the scoured the area for lost change. They were lucky to find enough, but find them they did.

"These cens look odd," Al said, handing LeFay a silver coin that she deposited into the slot.

"Their currency is different, Al. They're…pennies?" Ed looked to Taylor questioningly, remembering when Taylor had mentioned them.

She gave him a small smile, "Nice try, but no. Each coin has a different name and represents a different amount. The coins make up dollars, which is our currency around here." Taylor further explained this curious system and the boys listened attentively. Until LeFay let out a squeak.

"EH!" she said, as she held the phone at arm's length. Apparently, she had already called her sister. And her sister didn't sound too pleased with LeFay. Ed could hear the woman's yells from his spot, although he couldn't make out the words. Bravely, LeFay put the receiver back to her ear, "I'm sorry! Okay! I know I up and left suddenly but I have a good reason! …Well, I've been busy…Ack! Yes! Jeezum, Shelby, I'm not _that_ stupid…No, I haven't…We're in Monroe…Um, that's a little hard to explain, and it's part of the reason why I left…I'm, uh, kinda in a bind at the moment. Do you think you can come get us?…No, they're perfectly sane people…Alright then, we're at Payless…I'll explain when you get here. I'm using a payphone right now and I don't have enough time or change to explain it all, okay?…Okay, we'll be waiting out front. I'll see you in a few."

After she hung up, LeFay turned back to the rest of them, "Shelby, my sister, said she'd be here in about ten minutes."

"She's got a car now?" Taylor questioned. "Since when?"

"Destiney has been letting her borrow her car for awhile now. They're girlfriends now, did I tell you?"

"Really?" Taylor said, surprised. "No, you didn't. I never even knew Shelby swung that way."

"What do you mean?" Al asked. Neither him or Ed understood.

LeFay smirked in amusement, "How do I explain this gently? …My sister, who is a girl, likes to get her smoochies on with her friend, who is also a girl."

Taylor snorted, "You had to specify that your sister was a girl?"

"You mean she…" Ed began, his face coloring.

"My sis is bisexual," LeFay shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Oh, that's…um, I…" Al stammered, his cheeks beet red as he averted his eyes. Ed wasn't much better. He'd heard of such relationships existing but it was far from common and generally frowned upon. Never had he met a person like…that. Unless Garfiel counted, but Ed couldn't tell with that man. Edward never really had the time to think about the subject either. He didn't see much point to it though. It's not like a couple of the same sex could procreate. But what people did in their lives and who they chose to be with was their choice, right? Who was he to judge?

Curious, but feeling extremely awkward, Ed asked LeFay, "Does that mean you're…"

"Sexually attracted to females?" she asked with a grin. Both Ed and Al blushed more deeply. She shook her head, "It's personal preference, not genetics. Not that there's anything wrong with girls, they just don't do it for me. I like me some boys. Like Alphonse for instance."

"Wh-what?!" Al blurted, taken aback by the subject turning on him.

She smiled and pinched his cheeks, "You have got to be the cutest boy I have _ever seen_!"

"P-please don't d-do that," he stuttered, gripping her wrists to stop her hands from pinching his face. This had to be the most flustered Ed had ever seen him, and he couldn't help but smirk at it.

"Awww, you're so adorable Al!" she cooed. "Are you single?"

Ed hid a snicker behind a hand. Taylor seemed just as entertained.

"Uh, yes?" he answered carefully, fearing there was a wrong answer to the question.

"Don't worry, you won't be for long!"

"Are you suggesting you and Al…" Taylor gestured between the two teens.

LeFay grinned and latched onto Al's arm, "What, you got your own Elric brother! Can't I have him? Please?"

Poor Alphonse couldn't respond, his face so red that Ed feared his head might explode.

Taylor covered her eyes with her hand, shaking her head. She peeked at Ed and whispered, "Should we save him?"

Edward smirked, "Nah, let him squirm for awhile."

Despite what he said, she helped him anyway, although his comment made her smile, "No LeFay, you cannot have Alphonse. He's not an object, he's a human being."

The fluffy girl frowned, "I didn't mean _have_ like that. I meant," and here she posed dramatically, one hand to her heart, the other raised in the air, "To have! And to hold!"

Al was sending Ed a pleading look, which he shrugged off. Now that Taylor's crazy friend was focused on Alphonse, Ed wouldn't have to worry about the girl raping him.

Dropping the act, LeFay gave an odd, short snort and patted Al on the shoulder, "Relax Allykins. I'm just teasing you. You may be one of my heroes, but I know I'd probably send you running away screaming. I tend to scare a lot of guys easily actually. Hm, I get along better with chicks anyway, maybe I should switch teams…" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully and glanced Taylor's way, "Hey Taylor…"

"I'm taken!" the ginger snapped, hugging Ed's arm and resting her forehead on his shoulder, making his cheeks heat up at the public display of affection.

LeFay looked away with a sniff, "Would've been weird anyway."

Ed, in all his smarts, couldn't figure out what they were talking about. What teams? On second thought, perhaps he didn't want to know.

Snapping out of his stupor, Al squeaked, "So, you weren't being serious?"

The brunnette smiled, "No, I wasn't. I'm not big into the dating scene anyway. I'm more of a matchmaker."

"And a horrible one at that," Taylor quipped, voice partially muffled from his coat.

LeFay stuck her tongue out at her. As if sensing this, Taylor sent her the bird. Ed had to wonder how the two of them were such good friends. Taylor was more down to earth, and quieter than LeFay who held so much energy. So far, he'd only seen the two bicker back and forth where it appeared that LeFay would get on Taylor's nerves and Taylor would snap at her. There had to be more to it that he couldn't see at the moment.

"SHELBYYYY!" LeFay exclaimed, snapping Edward out of his reverie. She jumped up and down, waving her arms back and forth to signal the vehicle entering the parking lot.

"_That's_ your sister's car?" Ed gawked. Never had he seen such a vehicle. The overall shape was…rectangular and the strutcture…sleek? Two black stripes ran down the middle from trunk to hood, breaking the shiny grey paint of the car. Such a pecuilar looking car, but Ed liked it.

"Futuristic world, remember?" LeFay replied with a shrug. "And no, it's not actually my sister's car. Like I said, it's her girlfriend's, Destiny. She's been letting her borrow it for a while now since Destiny got her new motorcycle."

"Are all of the vehicles around here like that one?" Al asked in awe.

"Nah, that's a '67 model, Shelby GT Mustang."

"Ah, the irony," Taylor commented.

"I know, right?" she chuckled.

"Mustang?" Ed questioned to himself. Good thing Mustang himself wasn't there. He'd no doubt make some egotistical remark about having a car named after him. Then his thoughts drifted to a different focus. "You said '67 model. What year is it now?"

"Two thousand and eleven."

Ed felt his jaw drop and he shared a look of disbelief with his brother. They had known that Taylor's world was more advanced but a _hundred years_? If their worlds were parallel, then how did the time difference come about?

The car approached them before he could voice his questions. The…Mustang…parked a few yards away from them where they stood in front of the store's entrance. Seeing the car closer, he wondered what Winry would say if she were here. She'd probably squeal and beg to take the car apart to figure out every last function. If this was what cars were like, then what about trains? And would they see those flying machines Taylor told him about? What were they again…aero planes? Yeah, he wanted to see one of those.

A petite woman, a year or two older than LeFay, stepped out of the car, a prominent scowl marring her face. She wore a lime green polo shirt, black slacks and shoes, glasses with blue tinted frames, and her long, chestnut hair tied up in a smooth ponytail.

"You were working?" LeFay asked, eyeing her sister's attire.

"Yeah, you're lucky that it was a slow day or else I would have gotten in trouble with my manager for taking off."

Her face fell in guilt, "You didn't have to…"

Shelby went rigid, "Didn't have to? My little sister disappeared for a week and is suddenly back in town calling me to ask for a ride. _Of course I had to!_ What the hell were you thinking? Shit LeFay, where have you been?! What was so important that you didn't even call to let us know you were okay?!"

"…but I did just call."

"LeFay!"

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you! But I have a good reason, I swear."

Shelby crossed her arms, hard stare boring into her, "Well?"

LeFay swallowed nervously, glancing at the others like she wanted to hide behind them. She controlled her cowardice and faced the problem head on. "I didn't mean to leave out of the blue like that. I wasn't thinking, like usual. But as soon as I found a way to go, I had to."

"Go where?"

"I had to go to her," she answered, gesturing towards where Taylor stood watching them while gripping Ed's arm.

For the first time, Shelby's gaze wandered away from her sister as she spared brief eye contact with the boys, eyes assessing the dried blood on Ed's face, and settled on Taylor. Her brows furrowed, attempting to recognize the girl in front of her.

"Hey Shelby," Taylor waved at her.

Shelby's eyes widened and she stepped closer to her, "Taylor? But…you're…"

"Dead?" she supplied the word helpfully. "Yeah, funny story…"

The small woman blinked rapidly, "…holy shit…I think I need a cigarette." She started for her car, faltered and glanced back at Taylor with a confused expression, then went to the driver's side hurriedly.

Al, trying to stay positive, said, "I think she took it well."

LeFay said nothing, following after her sister. The rest of them neared the car as well but gave the siblings some breathing room. Shelby sat in the driver's seat, which strangely was on the left side, and furiously sucked on a cigarette like a starving man ate steak. LeFay leaned on the open door, waiting for her to say something.

"Okay…" she began, nodding slowly. She turned to them, "How? And who are you guys?"

"I'm Edward Elric and this is my little brother Alphonse. We're friends of Taylor's."

She glanced between the boys, "Little brother?" Ed would have gotten riled up if she hadn't smiled at him knowingly, "Life screwed you over too, huh?" He paused at that until he realized what she meant. She was the older sibling and yet the shorter one. She knew his pain. He could get to like this woman. "So why do you guys look so banged up?"

"Uh…" He had no idea what to say. Obviously, they needed to lie since alchemy didn't work in this world and, therefore, the people here wouldn't believe in gates and other worlds. Hell, most people from his world wouldn't believe it either. He didn't want to be the one to say the wrong thing and get them all into trouble. It'd be best to leave this one up to the girls.

"We, uh, got into a little accident!" LeFay piped up. "Yeah, and that's why I had to call you cause uh…my truck, it's a bit bent out of shape. Nothing too bad! But yeah, it's in the shop."

Shelby's eyebrows rose, "Oh, Grandma and Granddaddy are gonna kill you for that alone. Never mind all the rest." She looked to the rest of them, "Are you guys okay? You need me to take you to the hospital?"

"No, it's fine! Just a few bumps is all," Al assured her.

"We've had worse," Ed put in.

"Hm," she took one last hit off her cigarette before tossing it on the ground and lighting another one. "And the whole Taylor being alive thing? Wanna run that by me?"

"She uh…." LeFay looked to Taylor, a plea in her eyes. The girl wasn't very good at coming up with lies.

Taylor saved her, "When I was in Ireland, I had an accident. I fell in the river that runs by the castle we were visiting and it carried me downstream a long ways. I nearly drowned before these guys fished me out of the river." Here, she waved at the boys. "That's how we met."

"And you just let everyone think you were dead for nearly a year because…?" Shelby asked.

"I, uh, hit my head in the fall. I couldn't remember anything for the longest time, so I just stayed with Ed and Al here."

"What? Amnesia? Are you serious?" she asked, looking at them skeptically.

"I'm afraid so," Al nodded solemnly, looking like the picture of sincerity. It was almost scary how convincing he could be…

"Yeah! And when she finally did remember she called me," LeFay said cheerfully. "I went to go get her. That's why I left in a hurry."

"And that took you a week?"

LeFay turned away, pouting, "We were catching up, okay? Excuse me for losing track of time when my best friend basically comes back to life."

"So you went to her? As in, across the ocean? How'd you afford it? …LeFay, tell me you didn't get into your savings account."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Let's go with that," LeFay answered unconvincingly, and yet, somehow, her sister believed it.

"Yep, they're gonna kill you," Shelby affirmed, presumably referring to their grandparents. With all this talk of their grandparents, Ed wondered about their parents. Maybe they weren't alive?

Shelby finished her second smoke, "Alright, I guess that's enough for now. Hop in and we can go."

"But don't I get a hug first?" LeFay asked, holding out her arms and smiling.

Shelby narrowed her eyes at her, "I'm still mad at you."

No reaction.

"You're an idiot."

Smile.

Shelby rolled her eyes and rose to her feet to give her a hug, "I hate you."

LeFay smiled, "I love you too. …Sorry for making you worry."

"I wasn't worried," she denied, the two releasing each other. "Worried is an understatement. Now get in the damn car LeFay Strent."

"Yes ma'am!" she said, skipping around the car to get into the passenger's side as Shelby sat back in her seat and closed the door.

"That went better than expected," Taylor murmured. Ed grunted in agreement and the three of them slid into the back seat.

Shelby started the car and drove them out of the parking lot and down the road. As they drove through this strange town called Monroe, Ed and Al's eyes were glued to the windows to take it all in with wonder.

"Um…where are we going?" LeFay asked after a few minutes.

"I would take you straight to Grandma's, but I don't want her to have a heart attack when she sees those guys," Shelby pointed at the trio in the back.

"Hey! We're not that scary looking!" Ed grouched.

"Speak for yourself, Brother," Al laughed.

Taylor thumped Ed's temple, "That's not what she meant, Dummy. We look banged up and Shelby doesn't want their grandma to overreact."

"So you live with your grandparents?" Al questioned.

Shelby answered for LeFay, "She does, but I live with our dad in West Monroe. We're going there first to clean ya'll up."

"And what about your mother?"

"She lives about two hours from here with the rest of our siblings and her boyfriend. Our parents split up about a year after I was born," LeFay answered. Then her eyes went wide as saucers, "Dear God, tell me you didn't tell Momma that I disappeared."

"I didn't," Shelby answered, eyes on the road. "…I told Christian, who told her. And she's been convinced that someone who's against her snatched you up because it's all a conspiracy against her."

LeFay snorted, "Of course she thinks that." They went on to talk about their mother. Apparently, she was a very paranoid type of person…

Taylor leaned her head on his shoulder, causing him to look down at her. "You okay?" he asked her in a whisper so he wouldn't draw attention from the others.

Pale fingers worried the frayed ends of her sleeves, "…I don't want to think about it."

"Think about what?" How they were back in her world? He would have thought she'd be more excited. Maybe she was still in shock.

"I don't wanna think about…how we were in the gate… I never thought it would have brought us here. I thought it… I thought it was trying to take me back…"

_Oh,_ Ed thought, understanding. He snuck an arm behind her shoulders and she curled into his side gratefully.

"Don't think about it then," he advised, rubbing her arm in comfort. "Let's focus on the here and now and we'll figure this out once we've gotten a hold on the situation at hand." She nodded, her face hidden against him. He could tell that she was still scared. It genuinely hurt him, knowing that she was scared. He didn't want her to be afraid of anything. "As long as I'm around, I'll keep you safe. I promise."

She tilted her head back to look into his eyes. She searched his face for some answer and, finding one that pleased her, she gave a small smile as she settled against him again, "…okay."

* * *

(-Taylor-)

When we reached the apartment complex, things were…entertaining, to say the least. We drove onto the lot, the two-story buildings lining three sides of a rectangle with a pool smack dab in the center with a metal fence surrounding it, the gate to it chained. Upon arrival, Al asked why the pool was in a cage. Shelby gave him an odd look but explained that it was to keep people out for a list of reasons. The boys still thought it was strange, and that wasn't the last thing that would have to be explained.

We piled out of the car and the brothers' eyes went straight to the satellite dish protruding from the side of the building. They gave it odd looks but didn't question it, not wanting to arouse suspicion from Shelby. Shelby let us inside. I had only been there a couple of times, my visits being brief, and I swore much of the furniture had been replaced or moved around because it was mostly unfamiliar to me. Green couches were situated around the entertainment center, a small desk with a computer sat in the corner close to the front door, and book shelves and DVD racks lined much of the free wall space. A large archway gave a good view of the small kitchen/dining room that sat parallel to the front door. Those were the only two rooms on the ground floor. The carpeted staircase beside the front door led to two moderate sized bedrooms and a bathroom. One wall made of white brick with the rest paneling. Beige carpets. An overall nice apartment.

"Where's Dad?" LeFay asked. "His car wasn't parked outside."

"He's at work," Shelby answered her and then turned to me and the boys. "Alright folks, come upstairs to the bathroom so we can get you cleaned up. There's a first aid kit up there too."

"You got any food?" Ed asked.

"Brother!" Al hissed, elbowing him.

Shelby raised an eyebrow, probably finding it weird that Al called Ed "Brother". No one really called people by their familial title. "Yeah, we got food. Not a lot, but we got some. LeFay, won't you make yourself useful and fix everyone something to eat. It looks like Taylor needs a cheeseburger thrown at her anyway. But whatever you use, you're paying me back for! I'm not made of money, you know."

Rather than complain, LeFay replied happily, "Okay!" and dashed into the kitchen. I feared whatever she made. LeFay wasn't the most…trustworthy cook. She used questionable ingredients.

We went to the bathroom, the boys looking around curiously but not finding much to their interest. Except the curling iron on the bathroom counter. I had to take that away from Edward before he could play with it. Oh, that gave me an idea. I should curl Ed's hair….

Shelby pulled out a medium sized first aid kit and, once we had all we needed, she left to make sure LeFay didn't burn down the house. We washed off with wet rags and Ed and Al were pros with the patching up. Ed felt along Al's ribs and concluded they weren't broken, just bruised really bad. I gave him some pain killers for it, to help him breathe easier. Both of them had various cuts and a few burns that they treated. Now that Ed had washed the dried blood from his face, the cut on his forehead didn't look nearly as bad as I'd thought it'd be. I had some scrapes myself but nothing like they had so I simply made sure to wash the skin so it wouldn't get infected.

While in the privacy of the bathroom, I considered telling them about…the voices. Should I call them that? I didn't know if I had actually heard them in my head or not. It didn't feel like I was completely there at the time, like I was somewhere else when that conversation had been going on. And those voices…I swear one of them was me and the other… I couldn't tell for sure. It sounded vaguely like Truth, but not. And the way it referred to itself as 'we' unsettled me, among other things. What had it been talking about? What had _I _been talking about? I wanted to know and yet, I didn't want to know. It would be easier to forget about it and at the same time, I felt like I was forgetting something already. Curse my faulty memory!

Wait…memory…

Could it be…?

"Food's ready!" Shelby called from downstairs, breaking my train of thought.

"Alright! We're coming!" Ed hollered out the door as Al placed the first aid kit in its proper place.

Okay, my revelation would have to wait. The smell of something good wafted up the stairs and my stomach grumbled in appreciation. Time to eat.

We went downstairs and joined the sisters in the kitchen where they were filling five plates of pizza. All of us sat at the table and Shelby began asking questions about Ed and Al. Like where they were from. Oh joy.

"Um, they're from Germany," LeFay blurted before they could say anything. "They were touring Ireland kinda like how Taylor was."

"Germany? Then why don't you guys have accents?"

Ed and Al glanced at each other and Al answered for the both of them, "We…travel a lot."

Shelby shook her head in dismay, "Such a shame. You'd be so much sexier with accents."

Ed choked on his mouthful. Al hid his blushing face as he averted his eyes. The Strent sisters laughed and I fought not to smile.

Hoping to change the subject, Edward asked, "So what's that glowing box in the living room?"

I froze mid-chew. Beside me, LeFay slid a hand over her face.

"…glowing box?" Shelby asked, confused.

"Yeah, that one," he pointed, the view of the computer clear for all of us to see.

She looked to it and then back to him, "You mean the computer? What about it?"

"A computer?" he asked, saying the new word carefully. "What does it do? Is it just a light source or does it have other purposes?"

I wanted to slap a hand over his mouth to get him to _stop talking _but that would be too obvious. LeFay had begun to smack the heel of her hand against her forehead repeatedly. This was not good.

"…are you saying you don't know what a computer is?" Shelby asked in disbelief.

Ed glanced to me, realizing that he was being conspicuous. He turned back to the shocked woman and tried to explain, "We don't have as much advanced technology in…Germany."

"Are you serious? Germany isn't that technologically retarded, is it?"

"Uh, we lived in a small town…" he trailed off, not sure whether he could say Resembool or not.

"Munich," LeFay offered, taking a sip of her drink.

"Right, Munich," he nodded.

"And they didn't get out much," LeFay added, and I could have smacked her for being so stupid. Did she not realize that she had just contradicted what Al had said earlier about traveling a lot? Dingbat.

The big guy upstairs must have been feeling generous today because Shelby didn't notice, being too shocked by the fact that they didn't know what computers were. "Oh, you poor, deprived people. You must have had such boring lives. What the hell did you guys do for fun?"

"We sparred!" Al said, his smile strained from nervousness.

"As in fought? You kung-fu masters or something?"

"Um, yes?"

With all the fighting skills they had, they might as well have been kung-fu masters.

"Cool," Shelby grinned approvingly. She glanced at me, "Where the hell did you find these guys?"

I sighed, "I didn't. They found me." And my life hadn't been the same since.

The rest of the meal went a little less awkwardly, most of the conversation consisting of Shelby explaining what computers do and what the Internet was. The boys were fascinated and wanted to see for themselves but Shelby denied them, saying that she needed to get them over to LeFay's before it got dark because she didn't like driving at night. Al agreed with whatever made her the most comfortable, simply being grateful for all that Shelby had done for us. Ed however, sulked about not getting to see this giant information center known as the Internet. LeFay told him to hush up and that he could use her computer when they got to her house. Ed perked up after that and rushed out the door, calling for us to hurry up.

"Is he always like that?" Shelby asked, staring after the trail of dust Ed had left behind.

"Always," Al and I said together, both of us sweat dropping.

Once again, we climbed into the Mustang. For the most part, the thirty minute drive was passed by the sisters talking and catching up. I was content to slump in the backseat and bask in the pleasant feeling of a full tummy. The boys were much the same in my way of thinking, their eyes glued to the windows and gazing at all that this world had to offer them.

It was about six in the afternoon when we pulled up into the gravel driveway of LeFay's house. Nearly an acre of land surrounded the rectangular house, two large ditches lining the highway that ran in front of the lot. The land sloped upwards on the right side and on the hill sat a large, fenced in vegetable garden. The rest of the yard was filled with a few large oak trees and many flower beds. Far into the backyard sat three sheds stored with whatever LeFay's grandparents felt was worth keeping. None of the neighbors could be seen because of all the trees.

Shelby didn't bother to shut the engine off, "Okay, I'd love to see how the old folks react, and it was nice meeting you guys, but this is where we've gotta part ways. I've got things to do, places to see, people to kill."

"What?!" the brothers asked in alarm.

I snorted, "She's joking." I pushed them to exit the car and they complied.

"Thanks for coming to get us and everything," LeFay told her sister as she got out herself.

"Just don't let this happen again," she told her sternly. "And you owe me for this!"

We said our goodbyes and waved as Shelby drove away.

"Come on, let's head inside," LeFay said to us, nodding her head in the direction of the house. The three of us followed her through the carport where we entered from the side door that led directly into the dining room. Inside, LeFay bellowed, "Honey, I'm hooome!"

She received no answer in the form of words. Instead, we heard muted footsteps from the living room. Around the archway leading from the dining room to the living room, came a tall figure. The light from the ceiling fan poured onto his face, making his dark eyes glint as he looked at us with a stoic expression.

Beside me, the boys stiffened. My breath caught in my throat and I suddenly couldn't feel my legs.

What was Fate doing here?

* * *

**Taylor: *walks into Strent Studios* LeFay? Where are you? I came to see if you died.**

**Ragan: *walks out* Oh, she's over there.**

**Taylor: …why is LeFay in a corner rocking and muttering to herself?**

**LeFay: It's a lie….it's all a lie…**

**Ragan: *shrugs* I might have shown her the FMA manga.**

**Taylor: So?**

**Ragan: She's never read it before.**

**LeFay: It's a lie…the anime is a lie…**

**Ragan: Apparently they changed a couple of things in the anime.**

**LeFay: Lies….golden watches….National Alchemists…Reizenburg?…Ghetto Mustang…Al's evil…**

**Taylor: *face palms* You otaku…**

**Ragan: Revenge is sweet. XD**

**Omake inspired by RoseblossomWarrior. It takes place in the last chapter when Taylor's alchemy tattoos started to activate.**

* * *

**OMAKE: **

Outside on the steps of Central Headquarters sat LeFay and Taylor, the latter of which in terrible agony.

"It hurts," Taylor whimpered, doubled over in pain.

LeFay rubbed her back, trying to soothe her, "What's wrong? Tell me."

"It's…coming," she gasped. Taylor looked up at LeFay with tears in her eyes, "It's coming! The baby is coming!"

"Oh my God!" the fluffy girl shouted, jumping up and running around in circles, "What do we do?! What do we do?!"

"What's going on?" a new voice asked and they looked to see that the Elric brothers had arrived. They immediately rushed to Taylor's side.

"I thought you guys were off at the prison?" LeFay questioned.

"We came as soon as we found out Taylor was in trouble," Al answered.

"But how did you know?" Taylor asked, squinting at them through the pain.

Ed and Al glanced at each other, brows furrowing as they tried to come up with an answer.

"Elric brother telepathy?" Ed guessed.

"But I'm not an Elric brother…"

"That's besides the point! The baby is coming! We've gotta do something!" LeFay yelled, resuming her running around in circles.

"_BABY?!_" the boys screamed in alarm. They joined LeFay in her running around, none of them knowing how to deal with a pregnant woman in labor.

Taylor glowered at them, "Thanks guys, I'm just gonna sit here…in _pain_…while you guys run around like lunatics."

Suddenly, Al stopped and looked at Taylor confused, "Wait, since when are you pregnant?"

Then Ed halted in his steps and stared at Taylor in total shock, "Wait a second, WHO THE HELL'S THE FATHER?!"

"Ah! It's coming!" Taylor screamed. Everyone stopped their freak outs and watched as something unexplainable happened. Taylor lifted her shirt to reveal her stomach and glowing tattoos. In the center of her belly, a giant eye began to open. Sparks exploded from it as something began to emerge. Taylor screamed as a black gate baby popped out of her and onto the ground.

Dead silence. Everyone just stood there and stared at the thing on the ground. Even Taylor had quieted as her arrays had died down and the pain had abated. The gate baby sat up on its hands and knees and looked up at them with large purple eyes that eventually settled on Alphonse.

In a surprisingly deep voice, the baby asked, "Momma?"

Al frantically shook his head.

The baby turned to Ed, "Momma?"

Ed jumped back, shaking his head as well while looking ready to transmute a hammer and squash the thing.

Next, the baby turned to LeFay and asked again but she shook her head as well in a calm, yet shocked manner. Then it looked at Taylor and asked, "Momma?"

"I don't have to answer that," Taylor said, thoroughly freaked out at the thing that had come out of her.

"What are we gonna do with it?" Al asked.

"What do you mean _do_ with it?" Ed asked, annoyed. "We're not keeping it! It's not even human!"

"We can't just leave it here either, Brother! It's inhumane!"

"Hey," Taylor called to them, her eyes still staring at the pitch black baby. The gate baby sat there, sucking on its thumb. "Call me crazy, but I think I've got an idea."

Later on that day, Mustang's team returned to the command center, all of them tired but relieved at their success in recapturing all of the prisoners that had escaped from the State Penitentiary. All of them went to their desks and sank in their chairs, including Mustang. The Flame Alchemist sighed, and then he noticed that the bottom drawer of his desk was partially open. Curious, he reached down and slid the drawer open.

"Momma?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


	17. Chapter 17

**It's...done? Oh my God, the new chapter is finally done? *cries tears of joy* You guys don't even know. This chapter hates me. And I fail at life. I really, really do.**

**For those of you curious as to why I've taken so long, keep reading. If not, skip ahead to the chappy. I was super busy finishing up with my freshman year of college. And somehow, _somehow_, I made it through with straight A's. And now I've got my classes for the fall quarter lined up. I have to take a Geology class. For those of you who don't know, that's the study of rocks..._rocks_... Yeah, that's gonna help me in life. School aside, I've just been busy in general. Like I went and stayed with my sister, Shelby a couple of times. Her prego belly is getting so big! And dudes, there was this one day where I was sitting all alone in the apartment minding my own business while shooting zombies and this random five year old kid walks in. Just walks right in. And then he gets the impression that I'm a climbing tree. I play nice and after 15 minutes he leaves. I still don't know who he was. I also have a new laptop! It's a dell and his name is Ronald. Shelby's boyfriend hooked me up and put all this hundreds of dollars worth of Microsoft Word stuff on here for free.**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**And isn't it ironic?**

(-Taylor-)

In hindsight, I really should have seen it coming. For one, shitty stuff pretty much followed me wherever I went. For another, I never had learned of Fate's…fate (_bad Taylor, now is not the time for puns!_). Ed and Al had never mentioned seeing him again. If they had they would have told me something as important as seeing my arch enemy. Having never seen or heard from him after that last battle, I assumed he had disappeared. I didn't know where to, but, since he acted as Truth's pawn for its sick game, he had no purpose left. The game was over. I made sure of that. There were no more players left to hinder…except I had come back. Did it have some connection to me? Had he come to take me back to the gate?

_Of course he did_, I thought to myself bitterly.

Among our shocked group, Edward burst forward at lightning speed, catching the man off guard. Fate's eyes flew wide, not having enough time to react to Ed's sudden attack. Ed's furious momentum knocked Fate flat on his back, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Rearing back with his automail fist raised, Edward snarled, "I won't let you have her!" It was almost funny how shocked Fate looked when Ed's fist soared on a course straight for his face. It had to have been the most emotion he'd ever displayed. Ed's fist would have collided, had LeFay not jumped in.

She lurched forward to wrap both of her arms around Ed's raised arm, barely able to keep him from hitting the man as she yelled, "Stop it! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Let go! I'm gonna pummel this bastard!" Ed raged, struggling against LeFay, but the girl held on for dear life.

"No Ed, that's my brother!"

The world stopped spinning on its axis. Time came to a screeching halt. Everything stood in a breathless standstill.

…_brother?_

Beside me, Al gasped and for the first time I noticed the hold he had on my arm as if he had been prepared to rush me out the door. His grip tightened and his gray eyes darted back and forth between LeFay and the man. Edward's reaction was just as stunned. He turned to LeFay, no longer fighting her, and gaped at her.

"…what?" he asked, still kneeling over Fate. This gave Fate the perfect opening to retaliate.

A loud _smack_ echoed, slicing the shocked silence forcefully in half. Edward's head snapped back, the blow to his jaw sending him reeling. Startled, LeFay dropped his arm, allowing him to fall back on his butt. Fate stood swiftly, grabbing Ed by the back collar of his coat and hoisting him in the air, an easy feet for the six foot plus man. Anger overcoming his surprise, Ed growled curses and flailed his arms wildly in the air, but could do nothing as the man held him easily at arm's length.

The agitation radiating off of him, Fate looked at LeFay, "Okay, where have you been, and who the fuck is this?"

She grimaced and raised her hands beseechingly, "Uh, it's complicated but I'll tell you. Just please don't kill Ed. He didn't mean it."

"Yes I did!"

"You're really not helping yourself here," she hissed at him, then turned back to her proclaimed brother. "Let's just calm down and talk about this _without_ the use of our fists."

"He came at me," Fate scowled, glancing at Ed with the want for more violence clear in his dark eyes.

"I know, I know," LeFay consoled. "But he's a friend and I'm sure this is some stupid misunderstanding."

"There's no misunderstanding," Ed argued, eyes glaring daggers of hate. "I'd know his ugly mug anywhere."

Fate narrowed his eyes, raising his other hand to, no doubt, hit Ed.

LeFay jumped in between them, pushing her hands against Fate's chest and causing him to drop Ed. He stumbled, but made no move to attack Fate again as LeFay pushed her brother back a couple of feet, giving the two some breathing room.

"Just stop for a minute!" she pleaded exasperatedly.

He raised his voice angrily, "You want me to stop when some guy just attacked me?!"

"You deserved it!"

"I don't even know you!" he shouted back. He took a step forward, "But if you wanna do this, then fine. I'll whoop your ass."

"There will be no whooping of asses!" LeFay ordered, pushing her brother back. He huffed but didn't fight her.

If you're wondering why I hadn't said or done anything yet, I was honestly too confused. Fate was somehow here, he was LeFay's _brother_, he suddenly had emotions, and now he didn't even remember who we were? My grasp on reality had just been thrown out the window.

"Alrighty then," LeFay breathed deeply, remaining between the two fuming guys to act as a barrier. "Someone wanna explain this to me? _Calmly_," she stressed the word, giving Edward a pointed look.

"He's Fate…" Al answered with a twinge of uncertainty.

LeFay blinked, "As in the guy who was after Taylor?" She looked to me for confirmation.

I nodded slowly, "That's…that's him." Albeit, something was different about him.

Frowning, LeFay glanced back at her brother, then back to me, "Maybe he just looks like him?"

"That's a sorry excuse if I ever heard one," Ed growled, growing more agitated by the second. "How can you stand by and defend him?"

"Like I said, I don't know you people," Fate repeated himself. "And here you come in shouting all this _blah bleh blah_, accusing me and pissing me off. I've had enough of this shit."

LeFay gawked at his retreating figure, "Where are you goin?"

"Out for a smoke before I do something I might regret later," he answered curtly, ducking out the seldom used front door and slamming it behind him.

"The nerve of that guy," Ed seethed, rubbing at his sore jaw.

"You started it," LeFay shrugged.

"_I did not!_" he squawked. "Do you know how many times that bastard has tried to kill us!"

"You frigging moron," her voice rose with frustration. "There's no way he could be the same guy!"

"I saw him with my own eyes!"

"Use your brain and not your eyes! How could someone you saw in _your_ world show up _here_?!"

"Now who's the moron? If you haven't forgotten, we're here!"

"Well…that's different."

"There's also the fact that Fate came here to take Taylor's mom back to our world."

"Oh…right…"

"How well do you really know your brother? Huh?"

"He's not Fate! He has a real name, ya know. Christian. Christian Strent."

"Wouldn't want anyone to know his true identity, I see."

I'd had enough of their arguing.

"Shut up!" I shouted, my voice breaking with my frayed nerves.

Edward flinched while LeFay hid behind the battered loveseat in the living room, cowering in fear. Needless to say, I had their attention.

Taking a soothing breath, I began in a neutral tone, "It's true that LeFay's brother looks like Fate. And it's true Fate could go between worlds. He was Truth's pawn after all." Yeah, a pawn, just like me. Who knew I'd find something in common with my enemy? "But that doesn't explain everything."

"Taylor's right," Alphonse agreed, level-headed as ever. "Some things aren't adding up. Why doesn't he recognize us? And why is he acting so different?"

Ed crossed his arms defensively, "To confuse us? Make us drop our guards?"

"You remember how powerful he was, Brother. Why would someone like that need to use such a tactic?"

"Uh…good point."

"And then there's the fact that he's LeFay's brother. How old is he?"

LeFay looked up in thought, "Like nineteen, or twenty. One of those."

"You don't even know your own brother's age?" Ed asked, appalled.

"I'm not good with numbers, okay?" she pouted.

"Anyway," Al began again, drawing our attentions back to him. "Taylor said she wasn't the first player in Truth's game, that it had been going on for a long time. It may have been hundreds of years for all we know. Fate isn't completely human. Maybe Truth created him. The point is that there's no way that LeFay's brother could have been around that long."

I'd never even thought of that. Go Alphonse, debunker extraordinaire.

Ed pursed his lips, not ready to let it go. He glanced at LeFay and asked, "Are you sure your brother is human?"

LeFay deadpanned and offered, "I can tell you the story about his birth if you want."

He made a grossed out expression, "Ugh, no thanks."

"I'm curious though," Al spoke, turning to me. "Why didn't you ever mention that Fate looked like LeFay's brother."

I shrugged in a 'what can I say?' way, "LeFay's told me about Christian but I've never met the guy. He lives quite a ways away from here, with the crazier half of LeFay's family."

"Hey! They are not…" LeFay started but reconsidered, "Never mind, I can't argue that."

"Okay, let's say that Fate and this Christian guy are different people," Ed started off, looking solemn. Then he flipped out and asked critically, "_Then why do they look exactly alike?!_"

"Answer is hazy, ask again later," I mumbled, rubbing my head as I sat down in one of the wooden chairs at the dining room's oval table, the surface covered by a worn blue table cloth. My comment made LeFay laugh but the boys gave me a funny look. Eh, I'd show them a magic 8 ball later.

The front door opened and Fa _Christian_ (oi, this would take some getting used to) stood in the open doorway, leaning against the frame. He surveyed everyone as everyone stared back at him. Thankfully, he seemed less angry.

"Got everything settled yet, or do you still wanna pick a fight?" Christian asked warily.

Ed's back stiffened. However, knowing that this man wasn't the true focus of his ire, he bit back any rude remarks and said nothing. Al stood in his place, stepping up beside his brother and talking to Christian, "We're very sorry about earlier. I'm afraid we mistook you for someone else."

"You got that right," he agreed, causing Ed to bristle. Al just smiled, covertly elbowing his brother to keep him in line. Christian crossed his arms, the action making me notice for the first time what he was wearing. A pink Aeropostle shirt and baggy blue jeans, the outfit accented only by a necklace with a Chinese character on the end of the chain. Or it could have been a Japanese character. I didn't really pay that much mind. Call me childish, but all I could think about was Fate wearing pink. I had to smother my laughter with my hand. "So what did this guy do to you? He must have done something pretty damn bad for you to come in swinging like that."

Al glanced over his shoulder at me, "He hurt our friend."

Christian's dark gaze flicked over to me, comprehension warming the once cold eyes. I fidgeted under his stare. I knew it wasn't Fate, and still I wanted to run and hide. It made me feel guilty when I hoped for him to leave soon. From what LeFay had told me, he wasn't that bad a guy.

"So what are you doing here, Bro?" LeFay asked Christian. I don't know if she sensed my distress of if she was simply curious. Either way, I was grateful for the subject change.

"I stopped by here to get that old dresser and dining room set Grandma and Granddad keep in the shed. We had just finished loading it up in my truck when I came inside to use the bathroom. And then when I walked into the living room I couldn't believe that you were getting out of Shelby's car like nothing had happened."

LeFay grinned nervously, trying to keep the conversation off of her and the rest of us by asking, "What do you need the furniture for?"

"I'm moving in with a friend…"

"…"

"…I'm still waiting for that explanation of yours."

"Uh, right," her smile fell. "I guess I better get it all over with. Let's go outside so I can tell the old folks at the same time. Hey guys," here, she addressed us, "do you mind chilling in here for a little while?"

I smiled, "No, go ahead. I know Miss Jessie and Mr. Danny will be happy to know you're okay."

She nodded and the two siblings went outside.

"That guy," Ed said moodily.

"Brother, it's not him."

"I know, I know. He just rubs me the wrong way."

They continued to talk while I stood and walked over to the rear window that looked out on the backyard. Beyond the cluttered back porch stood three different sized sheds. The white one on the far left had a small, beat up dark blue truck situated in front of it, the back filled with furniture. Beside the truck stood the Strents. Miss Jessie, a plump woman in her sixties and dressed in a rich purple long sleeved shirt and purple sweat pants, held LeFay in a fierce hug and I could tell she was crying from here. LeFay patted her short, wispy gray hair. Her husband, Mr. Danny, stood beside them looking as scrawny as ever in one of his plain old khaki uniforms. He wore a scowl on his wrinkled tan face and I imagined his words were reprimanding, yet relieved. Even LeFay's pudgy miniature daschund was happy to see her, running circles around them and leaving a blurring streak of black and brown fur.

I smiled at the scene before turning away to give them privacy. I walked through the dining room and into the connected kitchen. I looked around at the pink counters, remembering all the times I would walk right into this house and go straight for the snack cabinet. Out of curiosity, I opened that cabinet. Snack cakes and cookies.

"I'll come back for you sexy bitches later," I promised, closing the door and shaking my head at myself.

I exited through the second archway into the living room to see the brothers sitting on the couch arguing about something. They quieted upon my entrance, watching me with interest. I shrugged and walked off on my own down the hall. On the paneled walls were pictures of Strents. Some I knew, some were strangers. Usually I would walk by without giving them a second thought. Now I felt the need to examine everything, to see things that I remembered, to reassure myself that I was really here.

My legs were on autopilot and led me to LeFay's room, the last door at the end of the hall. I stood in the doorway for the longest time, my gaze wandering over her cramped entertainment center, the two mismatched brown and blue chairs, the rumpled red and white sheets on her bed, her cluttered desk and mirrored dresser filled with papers, books, and several other knick-knacks. Her room hadn't changed a bit.

The nostalgia washed over me and all my memories became more vivid, more real. For a while there, my home world…it had started to feel like a dream. No, more like a dream within a dream. Live what I've been through and you begin to wonder what's real and what's not. Like now for instance. Standing there, viewing LeFay's room, it was easy to doubt that Amestris, the gate, all of it had happened. Yes, it could have been a dream and I was only now waking up.

I rubbed at my face. This was bad. Wasn't questioning your reality a sign of insanity? For some reason, that made me want to laugh. It was just so…ironic? I'm not sure if that was the right word. Nevertheless, I found humor in it all. I'd given up thoughts of returning home long ago. Hell, I'd given up thoughts on _living_. I had accepted my death, went into it willingly, and after all that, here I was, back in my hometown.

_Home…_

I sat down on LeFay's bed as the weight of it really sank in.

"I'm home," I whispered in awe. Then, with a smile, I said a little louder, "I'm home!"

* * *

(-Ed-)

They stood at the entrance to the hallway. Having heard Taylor's quiet exclamation, Edward's chest tightened.

"She sounds happy, doesn't she Brother?" Al asked him softly.

"Yeah…yeah, she does," Ed admitted.

Alphonse sat on the couch arm, facing his brother, "I'm worried about how everyone is back in Central, how things turned out with Scar and the prison break, but…do you think we could let her enjoy this for a little while? Before we start trying to get back?"

Ed didn't turn to him, still staring down the hall where Taylor had disappeared to. He crossed his arms, face slightly pinched in thought, "I'm sure everything went okay." At least, he hoped. "And I bet everyone's wondering where we went. It wouldn't kill them to wait a while longer." Al perked up at this, expecting this to be Ed's approval. Alphonse wanted, they _both _wanted Taylor to be happy. "But…"

Al tilted his head to the side, "But what?"

Several moments passed. Ed glanced at him from the corner of his eye, then quickly went back to staring down the hall. "Waiting around won't fix our problems. Look what's happened today. The gate's not gonna hold up forever."

Al pondered this, "That's true. But Brother, we can't do much about it here on this side. Our alchemy is cut off."

"LeFay managed it. We could get her to show us exactly how she did it," he suggested.

"Then what? Once we open the gate, what will we do?"

"We fix it!"

Al sighed and shook his head, "But we don't know how. You want to rush in without a plan, like always. With the gate unstable as it is, there's no telling what could happen to us in the process of opening it, let alone trying to fix it."

"Exactly! It's unstable, and it's only getting worse. We need to hurry up and stop it from destabilizing further."

"Even if we knew what to do at this point, it's a big risk. We could be deconstructed in the process, or it might simply transport us back to our world. We can't be sure."

Edward knew his brother was right. Alphonse had always been the calm and controlled one, able to sort things out for the best route possible, while Edward's talents lied in his quick thinking. However, just as Al pointed out, this led him to rushing into things. In his defense, things usually worked out fine…usually.

"…there's something more, isn't there?" Al asked perceptively. He was good at that kind of thing, reading people. It made him the better socializer out of the two brothers, and could be a handy skill most of the time except when he used it on Edward. Because of this, Ed could never hide anything from him.

Ed didn't respond, biting the inside of his cheek. Al took his silence as an answer.

"This is about Taylor, isn't it? You're afraid she'll want to stay here."

"It is her home after all," Ed spoke quietly.

"So you think she'll automatically choose to stay here?"

"Are you saying she won't?" Ed challenged, tearing his gaze from the hallway to stare at Al.

Gray eyes steeled with resolve stared right back at him, "I won't deny that this place means a lot to her. It is her home. But Ed, you're a fool to think we mean so little to her." Ed's mouth parted a little in surprise but Al plowed right on. "I doubt that she's even realized that she'll have to choose. When she does though, it won't be an easy decision for her. And if she chooses to stay, then I'm not going to stand in her way."

He leaned back against the wall and slid all the way down to the brown carpet. Ed sat there, letting his eyes wander around the room, "But…we just got her back…"

"Yeah, and we might have to let her go again. Ironic, huh?" Al tried to smile. "At least…at least this time we'll know she'll be happy and okay."

_Why can't she be happy with us?_ he wondered selfishly. Rather than say this aloud, he asked, "Why can't our lives be simpler?"

Al gave a genuine laugh, "Because then it'd be too boring for you."

Ed's lips tugged upward, "Heh, maybe so, but this whole worlds-being-at-risk-of-destruction thing is too much adventure even for me- AH!"

A small dog had jumped on his arm suddenly to rudely lick at his face. Ed fell over from the unexpected assault, giving the canine more leverage. This forced him to guard his face with his arms and shout, "Can someone get this mangy mutt off me?!"

Al laughed and said in a sweet tone, "Come here girl."

The dog reacted instantaneously, leaving Ed where he lay in the fetal position to scurry over to his animal loving brother. Al began to reach down to pet the panting black and brown dog when LeFay slid into view, startling them both because neither had heard her come inside.

"No! Don't pet her!"

Al's hand retracted immediately and he asked her worriedly, "Why, will she bite?"

"No, she'll pee!"

"…"

It was one of those answers that you never expected so much to where you had to laugh. Edward snorted, then clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle it but more laughter followed.

"Yeah, laugh it up why don't you. But I'm not going to be the one to clean up her mess if you make her pee," LeFay snapped.

"Why would she…" Al asked, completely befuddled.

"Oh, it's when Buttercup gets overexcited. Mostly whenever people come over, so give her a little while to get used to you before you start loving on her."

Al looked down at the small dog that scratched at his foot, looking up to him with big, brown imploring eyes. He looked back at her with his "must resist cuteness" face. "But…she's so adorable."

LeFay nodded in agreement, "It's the eyes, man…the eyes…"

Now they were both staring down at the dog with longing expressions. The dog's tail thumped against the floor and she whined, causing Al and LeFay to squirm with stars in their eyes.

Ed really wished he had something to throw at them.

* * *

(-LeFay-)

Eventually, she shook herself out of her adoring gaze to accomplish what she had come inside to do.

"Where's Taylor?" she asked.

"She's back there," Ed replied, jamming his thumb over his shoulder. LeFay's dog turned in Edward's direction at his voice and he stared at her like one would a bomb.

"Be right back," she promised the guys, stepping over Ed's legs to continue down the hall. The lights were on in her bedroom, easily telling her which room her friend was in.

LeFay peeked into her room to find Taylor sitting cross-legged on her bed, her laptop in her lap as she clicked away on it.

"Whatchya doing?" LeFay asked, making the ginger-haired girl glance up.

Taylor smirked, "I'm changing the background on your desktop."

"What? Why?"

She deadpanned, "Because I don't think Ed would appreciate seeing himself romantically involved with a certain former colonel."

"Oh…heheheh," LeFay laughed nervously, pushing the tips of her index fingers together. "In my defense, it was a really cute picture."

"In my defense, you're a pervert."

"We prefer the term 'otaku'."

Taylor responded by throwing a pillow at her face, the force pushing LeFay out the doorway a step. The brunette looked down the hall to see the brothers staring at her with mixed expressions. LeFay grinned and called to them in an announcer voice, "On this episode of Gingers Gone Wild…!"

"Knock it off!" Taylor hissed, suddenly dragging her by the arm into the room once again, closing the door behind them. Despite herself, she began chuckling as she returned to the bed with LeFay following behind as cheery as ever. With the laptop back on her lap, Taylor commented giddily, "It's been so long since I've been around modern technology."

LeFay shook her head, "I would never be able to live in Amestris. I need my internet."

"…so how'd things go?"

She smiled, "I think I gave Grams a heart attack. And Gramps is…grumpy. Although, he's always grumpy. They're finishing up with Christian 'cause he's about to leave. They want to talk to you guys when they come in, mostly you 'cause they're really glad you're okay. They missed having you around."

Taylor smiled too, "I love your grandparents."

LeFay laughed, "And I'm pretty sure they love you too. They said ya'll are welcome to spend the night here. But if you want I can borrow their car to take ya'll to Miss April's."

Taylor's face pinched in thought as she looked down at the red bedspread. LeFay wondered what she was considering, what she thought of being able to see her family after so long.

"…I think…if it's okay…I'd like to stay here for now."

LeFay blinked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's just…" Taylor appeared to be struggling for words.

It clicked in LeFay's mind, "Oh, oh, okay! It's fine. We can just go tomorrow."

Taylor closed her eyes in relief, "Thanks." It wasn't that Taylor didn't want to see her family. Quite the contrary. Everything that had happened was just taking some getting used to. She hadn't adjusted yet and rushing things too fast might overwhelm her.

"It'll be okay," LeFay assured her. "We'll go over there tomorrow, Miss A is gonna cry, you're gonna cry, Joeli's gonna cry cause she'll have to share a room again." Taylor giggled and LeFay continued. "And it'll all be one big hug fest! And then I can finally get my truck back." She briefly wondered what Miss A had done with the vehicle. It would have been conspicuous to just leave it in her front yard after LeFay's disappearance. Luckily LeFay had left her keys somewhere in the kitchen along with her cellphone…and…could a hairless otter swim? Otters swam, right? If they did and the otter suddenly found himself hairless wouldn't that just throw him off and ruin his whole day? He'd probably hole himself up in his crib and munch on carrots like a broken hearted teenaged girl ate ice cream. That's assuming otters ate carrots…

The waving of a hand inches from her face snapped her out of her reverie. She stared at Taylor in confusion.

"You were having another moment, weren't you," Taylor accused.

LeFay rubbed at her eyes, "Sorry, it's been a long day and I can't remember the last time I slept properly. Did you know it takes practically _two days_ to reach Central from Resembool? And forget about being able to fall asleep on those freaking trains."

"I slept just fine," Taylor teased.

Yawning, she waved away the comment, "Yay for you then." LeFay paused for a second, thinking she heard a voice. Taylor had said nothing, so she brushed it off. But there it was again, a faint whisper. "Oh my God…"

"What?"

"I'm hearing voices!" LeFay squeaked. "I knew this day would come."

Taylor snorted, "Relax, I hear them too."

"So…you're going crazy too?"

In answer, Taylor slapped the back of LeFay's head, "You dingbat, it's coming from the other side of the door. We've got eavesdroppers."

"…are they hairless too?"

Taylor sighed, "I would ask what you were talking about but then I'd have to actually care."

LeFay just stared at her, waiting for her to answer the question. For some reason it was incredibly vital that she did.

"Just go open the door."

"Okay!" LeFay said happily, completely forgetting her question. Skipping over to the door, she swung it open. This allowed two cute boys to come tumbling into the room from where they had obviously been standing with their ears to the door. They sprawled on the floor, looking surprised and embarrassed. LeFay grinned at Taylor, "Can we keep them?"

Taylor stared at the boys, her eye twitching, "Maybe, but we'll have to neuter them first."

Ed and Al scrambled to their feet, stammering over their apologies faster than you could say, "Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia." You know what that was? The fear of long words. Whoever came up with that was either drunk or stupid, probably both, just like the creators of Spongebob had been. Seriously, how else could you come up with a kid show about a talking sponge who lived under the sea in a pineapple and flipped burgers for a living at a joint that sounded like an STD? They must have been desperate.

By the time LeFay came out of her sleep deprived musings, Taylor had forgiven the guys and they had joined her on the bed to witness the magical wonders of modern technology. Taylor sat between them having to keep a firm grip on the computer because Ed kept trying to snatch it away. Alphonse slapped at his hand but Ed was only deterred when his hand wandered too close to Taylor's face, activating her 'bite mode' reaction. She didn't bite too hard, so his hand simply hung from her mouth. Ed poked fun at her for it and she growled in response. He said the growl was more cute than threatening. She bit him for real that time.

"Owowow, stop laughing at me Al, owowowow!" Ed complained, cradling his injured hand.

"Now shut up before I show you LeFay's original background picture," Taylor threatened.

"Picture?" Al questioned.

"You don't wanna know," Taylor and LeFay answered at the same time. Without looking away from the computer screen, Taylor raised her fist in the air and LeFay wordlessly bumped it with her own. Yeah, like a boss.

"Alright, let me introduce you guys to the internet. But first…" Taylor glanced up at LeFay, giving the fluffy girl her best puppy dog pout. "Snack cakes?"

In complete seriousness LeFay turned towards the door, "I shall journey forth and fulfill your demand! Onward into the land of sugary goodness!" She zoomed out of the room and quickly returned with a box of chewy chocolate chip cookies and a box of oatmeal cream pies. She tossed them to the hungry moochers on her bed and sat herself in one of her chairs. LeFay watched the three tear into the snacks, their eyes never straying from the screen. Ed and Al watched in rapture as Taylor surfed the net, and Taylor smiled at their "oooh's" and "aaaah's". When she described the perks of Google, Ed predictably told her to type in 'alchemy'. They searched through the results and much more searches proceeded.

"Amazing," Al breathed in wonder. "All of the world's information is right at your fingertips!"

"I guess you guys don't need things like libraries anymore, huh?" Ed asked.

Taylor shrugged noncommittally, "Not necessarily. Some stuff isn't on the internet, some stuff is restricted, and a large chunk of stuff is just plain stupid. You can't trust everything you see on here. But it's really convenient and there is a lot of useful information out there. And there are still libraries, lots of them."

"So this…computer," Ed tested the foreign word carefully, "how does it work? It's powered by electricity, right? Does the information somehow stream from those lines?"

For the next couple of minutes Taylor explained to them how the internet worked, or what she knew about it at least. Honestly though, the boys asked so many different questions that only a computer technician could answer accurately.

During the whole time LeFay just sat there leaning back in one chair with her feet propped up on the arm of the other. Her mind, fogged from weariness, wandered in many scattered directions. Were the people from the movie Avatar just oversized smurfs? Were the smurfs real? If FMA was real, why not smurfs? Were there other gates to other worlds? Speaking of gates, why didn't they stop in that white place on the way through the gates? Did Truth not want to say hello or something? And why the hell did her brother look like Truth's soldier boy? Well, if her mom was Izumi's double then why couldn't her brother be a double too? But how was it her brother out of all people? That had to be some once-in-a-lifetime, crazy coincidental, serious mumbo jumbo right there, if two people in LeFay's family just happened to be doubles from Amestris. But Taylor said that Fate was from the gate or Truth or whatever.

"Hey Taylor."

Taylor looked up at LeFay. Apparently she had been showing the guys Facebook, for Ed was asking why people thought it was important to post their daily activities such as what they had for dinner. Al seemed to like the site well enough, commenting on how it was a great way to socialize with many people.

LeFay tuned the brothers out and focused on her question, "Where exactly is Fate from?"

Ed and Al ceased their conversation and turned their gazes to LeFay as well. Taylor arched an eyebrow, "What brought that up all of a sudden?"

"I really don't know 'cause I was thinking about smurfs at first…"

"Ah, LeFay logic…" Taylor shook her head. "To be honest, I never was sure where Fate was from. In fact, that's not even his real name. He said he didn't have a name but I had to call him something other than 'my stalker'. I doubt he was human. I was under the impression that Truth had created him, something like a homunculus but more powerful."

LeFay rubbed at her mouth and chin contemplatively, "I didn't know Truth did that sort of thing."

"If you think about it in the terms of equivalency, it makes more sense," Ed told her.

"Taylor was brought to our world, making her an outside force. Our theory is that Truth used Fate as a counterbalance," Al inserted.

"You following us so far?" Ed asked.

"I think," LeFay said in her 'not really, but let's go with it' tone.

"He was basically a means to an end in that white bastard's sick game."

"And he kept trying to kill me," Taylor inserted. "Well, most of the time anyway. The rest of the time he was being downright confusing. He said he wasn't trying to kill me while he was trying to kill me in order to make me lose the game but the joke's on him because I had to lose anyway to win."

None of that contradicting paragraph made sense to LeFay. Taylor registered this by her blank expression.

"Welcome to my life," she groaned, flopping backwards on the bed.

Waving her hands, LeFay said, "Okay, let me see if I've got this straight. For whatever reason, Truth created a game that involved you crossing the gate over into Amestris. Then Truth sent its own personal hit man to kill you but not, and to make you lose but you were supposed to lose anyway?"

"Yep."

"So what did you lose?"

"My life."

"Oh damn…"

"Yep."

"And what was the point of this retarded game?"

"Now there's something I'd like to know," Ed spoke, staring hard at the TV on the entertainment center. LeFay wasn't sure if he was trying to figure out what the TV was or if he was just really deep in thought…

"Okay, last question. If Truth created Fate, then why is my brother his double?"

Edward moodily hunched forward, his elbow on his knee and his chin resting in his palm, "It's still possible they're the same person."

"Brother…"

"What? Stranger things have happened."

Taylor slowly rose forward, her gaze coming to rest on LeFay as if she had done something.

"What? What'd I say?" LeFay asked anxiously, hoping she hadn't said anything to anger the ginger.

"Fate's…double?" Taylor questioned, appearing to be on to a trail of thought that led to the holy grail of revelations.

"Uh…yeah, like how my mom's Izumi's double."

"Hm…" Ed murmured, still hunched over moodily and not really paying attention. Al had heard perfectly what LeFay had said and now stared at her with his jaw dropped. Several moments of silence followed. Then Ed jumped up and shouted, "WHAT?!"

"That's right, I never told you guys," LeFay smiled widely, scratching the back of her head. It looked like she would have to explain the whole double process as well. "It's like this, since our worlds are parallel to each other, there are extremely similar looking people from each one. For instance, my mother could pass as your teacher's sister, if not her twin."

"How is that even possible?" Al asked, dumbfounded.

Ed jerked his head back and forth, "No, it's not possible. You're trying to say that there could be another me walking around this world? Another Edward?" He appeared to be appalled and furious by the very notion that he wasn't one-of-a-kind.

"Not exactly. Doubles may look alike, they may even have some similar personality traits, but they're not the same people. When I first met Izumi, it was creepy as hell how much she looked like my mom, and they have a couple of things in common like their hatred for the government and their scary tempers, but I noticed a lot of ways in which their different. For starters, my mom's name is Christy, not Izumi."

"…but she still looks like Teacher?" Al asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, just tanner and with shorter hair."

Ed raked a hand over his face, "So your mother is identical in appearance to our teacher and the same goes for your brother in regards to the man we know as Fate. Anything else you wanna get off your chest? Got a cousin who looks like Winry?"

LeFay looked up in thought considering the possibility.

"Brother was being rhetorical," Al told her kindly.

"Oh…heheh," she laughed at herself. Then she spun the chair around in circles and began singing to herself, "_What sound does a turtle make? What sound does a turtle make? What sound does a turtle make? It…moos!_"

"That doesn't even make sense!" Ed growled, becoming frustrated.

"Well neither does any of this other stuff. I'm done trying to figure this crap out." Then she resumed her singing and spinning, "_What sound does a moose make? What sound does a moose make? What sound does a moose make? It…rawrs!_"

Edward face palmed and turned to Taylor, "Is she always like this?" Noticing that Taylor wasn't paying any attention, distracted by some serious inner thoughts, Ed poked at her arm, "Earth to Taylor."

"Stop, I'm trying to think," she slapped his hand away.

"What are you thinking about?" Al asked.

Taylor bit at her lip, "Fate…what if Truth didn't create him? What if Fate was from Amestris?"

"I thought we already established that he wasn't human," Ed said, flopping on the bed once again.

"Maybe…maybe he was human at one time? Maybe he transcended from that state."

"Transcended?" Ed repeated skeptically, raising a brow. "What makes you think that?"

"…it was just a thought," Taylor said evasively, fingering the cuff of her jacket where a loose thread hung free. "It might explain how he and Christian could be doubles."

"Too bad we can't just ask him about all of this ourselves," LeFay commented, halting her chair. She had started to get dizzy from all the spinning. "Wait, why can't we ask him?"

"He disappeared after Taylor did," Al told her.

Ed nodded, "And I say good riddance."

"I wish I knew where to. I feel like it's important. Just like the reason Truth started this game in the first place." Taylor spoke in a hushed voice, green eyes staring down at her moving hands but probably seeing other things. "Truth's game, Fate and his disappearance, the fact that I remained in the gate instead of vanishing completely, the reason why the gate became unstable when LeFay pulled me out…it's all connected somehow."

"Like one big array," Al agreed. "Except with missing pieces."

"Looks like we'll have to figure out the missing pieces then," Ed concluded in a definite tone, sounding as if they would succeed in such a difficult task. His confidence was palpable.

LeFay wished she could feel the same. To her, they were in way over their head. One look at Taylor told LeFay that her thoughts weren't far off from her own.

* * *

(-Mustang-)

The Brigadier General finally made it back to the small sanctuary of his office. Noon had not come yet and already he was exhausted.

Trudging wearily through the empty office, he slumped in his chair. He gave himself a moment, a single deep breath, before he picked up his phone to dial Hughes's office.

For once, Hughes was not pleased to hear from him.

"What are you doing back at work so soon? You should be at home taking it easy."

"I'll take it easy when this mess is cleaned up," Mustang told him, finality edging his tone. The fight yesterday hadn't left him injury free. He had needed stitches in his side for a rather nasty cut; the wound would open if he wasn't careful. Along with that, he had something of a concussion. Nothing he couldn't handle, inconvenient though they were. The hospital had let him return home last night with a warning. As tired as he was, he forced himself to get out of bed and come in today. Although, Black Hayate had given him an unsettling stare, much like his previous owner would have when he did something stupid.

Hawkeye... What he wouldn't give to have her at his back at a time like this.

Hughes sighed, knowing he couldn't dissuade him, "Just don't overdo it then, Roy."

Mustang grunted noncommittally, sliding to a different, more important topic, "Do you have any news for me?"

"I've received word from the hospital. They've stabilized Armstrong's condition and Tegraia will be released tomorrow."

Relief made his shoulders sag, "That's good. What else?"

"I'm assuming you're up-to-date with the penitentiary?"

"Yes, I was there earlier this morning," Mustang confirmed. The area around the State Penitentiary was under lock and key, a larger presence of guards were stationed there, and reconstruction on the damaged sections of the building and perimeter wall had begun. Despite their best efforts, a few prisoners had slipped away in the frenzy yesterday. His team was assigned the task of retrieving them and was currently out scouring the city for them. In fact, most of the military's forces were aimed towards finding and capturing them along with the most deadly of their objectives: Scar and the Crimson Alchemist, Zolf Kimblee.

"Alright, I'll spare you the details on that then," Hughes replied. "All trains going and coming from Central are still halted. No one will be fleeing the city that way, but we can't keep the trains from running forever. The public is already antsy about killers on the loose."

Mustang tapped his fingers on the phone cord, narrowing his eyes in thought, "Scar's been dodging us for a long time now, and Kimblee is as crafty as ever. I'm sure they'll find other ways to escape the city. And once they do, if they haven't already, it'll be hell to find them."

Hughes didn't question his certainty, "There may be an Ishvalan refugee camp nearby. He might turn to his own people. As for Kimblee… I'll look into any old contacts he may have."

"He wasn't the most likeable man, or trustworthy," Mustang commented. "If he does have any contacts, they'll be few in number. It's more likely that he'll keep to himself, stay under the radar."

"Then it may be a long shot, but I'll check out prior residences, any places he's connected to. It can't hurt to look. Besides, we don't have much else to go on."

A lull in the conversation came. Now was a good of a time as any to ask. "Have you heard anything about…?"

Hughes caught on immediately, "No, I haven't. No one's seen the Elrics or Taylor and her friend. I know those boys have kept us on our toes before, but this isn't like them to up and disappear without a trace."

"You're right. There's something more going on here. Breda spoke to Taylor and LeFay shortly before they breeched the penitentiary perimeter. Apparently the two of them had gone there to see the Elrics because of the arrays on Taylor's body. They seemed to be malfunctioning."

"Malfunctioning?"

"Breda said they were glowing on and off, as if trying to activate. They appeared to be hurting the girl in the process. And she also spoke of something coming but didn't say what."

"Think this is connected to that broken gate business?"

"It's possible. The transmutation circles on that girl can access the gate of alchemy… The gate may be reaching out for her, wanting to take back what it once had. It was cheated and it's not happy about it."

"That's a rather creepy thought." Mustang could practically hear his friend shudder through the phone. "And even creepier is that it might be true. There were a couple reports from some soldiers in the vicinity who may have seen Taylor and LeFay moments before they disappeared. They described a large scale transmutation that engulfed them. It only lasted a few seconds but afterwards they had vanished. One of them swears they saw a couple of young men that vanished with them. The others aren't sure of what they witnessed."

"A couple of young men?" Mustang mused. "No doubt, that would be Edward and Alphonse."

"You sure you didn't see anything?"

"No. There was too much going on at the time, too much fighting and chaos. Not to mention I was occupied at the time." Fighting off Kimblee and Scar had taken all of his focus. He hadn't even been aware the girls had been in the area, nor did he see when and if the Elrics had joined the scene.

"If that was them…" Hughes trailed off, unable to say the horrible outcome. All four of those kids could be dead or could have been pulled into the gate, which from what Taylor said was a fate worse than death.

"We can't be certain what went down. For now we focus on what we can do. We'll find where Kimblee and Scar have run off to and in the meantime we'll keep our eyes and ears peeled for Ed and the others. They'll have to turn up eventually." Mustang refused to believe that the Fullmetal Alchemist, living legend of the people, would go down so easily. He and his brother were tougher than that, and if they were with the girls then they'd all make it back to them alive. They always did.

A loud knock had Mustang glancing up to the door he had neglected to close. An unfamiliar man stood in the doorway, his casual black and gray clothes telling him that he wasn't a soldier, not one on the clock anyway. He was young, his hair black and shorter than Mustang's. An average height and build. Gray eyes that you couldn't trust.

Mustang already disliked this man.

"Good morning, Brigadier General Mustang," the stranger spoke. His tone was formal and polite but something skirted along the edge that made Mustang think it was a humorous joke to this man. "I apologize for the interruption, but if you could spare a moment…"

"Is someone there?" Hughes asked from the other side of the line.

His eyes never leaving the man, he told Hughes, "We'll continue this later. Keep me posted." He hung up, watching the man cautiously.

The man, taking Mustang hanging up as an invitation, strolled into the room and began in an overly friendly tone, "You are the Fullmetal Alchemist's superior officer, yes?"

Mustang stifled his surprise, letting this man see nothing more than a blank mask. There was no denying that Edward was his subordinate. Why did he need to know? "Yes, that's true. How can I help you? And I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am but you've yet to introduce yourself."

The man appeared unperturbed at the jibe of his poor manners. He made himself comfortable at the end of a couch, crossing his legs. "Actually, I think we can help each other. As for my name…" Here, he gave a small, playful smile, "You can call me Thane."

* * *

**I don't know how I feel about this chapter. It's like I worked my ass off but I think it could have been better. Oh, the Mustang part especially. I hate his POV 'cause he's smarter than me. Sure, Ed and Al are smarter than me too but they're teenagers. But GAH! I went through so many different scenarios for Mustang's POV, at one time even thinking to do it from Hughes POV and have him physically there. It took more hours than I care for. LeFay's part was interesting though, and not just because she's me. I wrote her part when I was sleep deprived, just to get into character. I don't know if you guys know this, but when I'm sleep deprived I act like I'm freaking stoned. The random thoughts my mind has...**

**Sorry for misleading you guys about Fate. I'm gonna tell you guys the honest truth, my brother inspired the creation of Fate. He told me one day, "Why don't you have me come in your story and tear everybody up and just leave like a badass?" And I'm like, "I can't just have some random guy come in and...wait a minute..." And then Fate was born. I decided that he was Christian's double before I knew that the sequel would happen and Taylor and them would come to our world. But I stayed true to that, even though it was outrageously coincidental that two members of my family are doubles, but sometimes, against all odds, crazy stuff like that happens. And this also gives a little insight and speculation about Fate's true origins, what happened to him, why the gates are freaking out, and why Truth began the game in the first place.**

**For those of you who can't remember, Thane is the guy that LeFay met on Yock Island and who she and Taylor ran into in HQ a couple chapters back. Again, I say thanks to desoldeben for letting me use his character Thane. If you guys want to see more of Thane you can check out the one-shot he wrote that deals with TBA. It's called "****A lil of what happened in between**" and you can find the link at the bottom of my profile. It's been there for awhile actually, along with a few other fan stories.

**Thanks to ImJustStupid for the random song LeFay sings. I've been singing it lately, I'll have you know.**

**I've posted a couple of other stories. One is a parental Roy/Ed one-shot called "Window Washing." The other is a real-world OC come to Amestris story called, "Life Hates Me". The main character is my little sister, Ana, otherwise known as YourSecretStalker. I'm actually about to go update it right now. I'm so excited to be writing on this new story, you don't even know. XD**

**I'm really sorry about the unexpected hiatus. I'm not sure I'll be returning to my regular schedule of updating this every two weeks. My muse is pumped to work on some other stuff right now, ya know? And it'd be bad to write on this when I don't want to. I try not to force myself to write. So I might just update every now and then. I dunno, we'll see, we'll see.**

**HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND CLEO! And Happy Birthday to anyone else who may be celebrating. And to those who aren't, Happy Unbirthday! Each player must pay you fifty monopoly dollars!**


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